Integration Platform Technologies: Siebel eBusiness Application Integration Volume ll > Creating and Maintaining Integration Objects > Integration Objects Synchronization >

Synchronization Rules

During the synchronization process, the Synchronization wizard follows particular update rules. Consider a simple example involving the Siebel Account integration object with only Contact and its child components marked as active in the object. Figure 17 helps you to visualize this example.

Figure 17.  Example of Selected Integration Components

Since the Account component is the parent of Contact, it is also selected, even though you cannot see it in Figure 17.

Updating the Entire Integration Object

Either the business object or the integration object might have changed since the integration object was first created. The Synchronization wizard will create a new object that takes into account any business object and integration object changes.

Figure 18 illustrates this concept.

Figure 18.  Synchronizing the Integration Object

Figure 19 shows how the resulting integration object is structured after the synchronization.

Figure 19.  Completely Updated Integration Object

The integration object now contains two new components, Business Address and Opportunity. Other components have been updated with the definitions of the corresponding components in the business object.

About Deleting a Component from the Integration Object

If you choose to deselect a component in the Synchronization wizard, you specify to the wizard that it should delete the component in the integration object with the matching External Name Context property. The integration object that exists in the database has a component with the same External Name, External Name Sequence, and External Name Context as the unchecked component in the component selection tree.

In Figure 20, the Contact_Personal Address in the existing Account integration object is unchecked in the Synchronization wizard tree. This is represented by an X in this figure.

Figure 20 illustrates this concept.

Figure 20.  Deleting a Component from the Integration Object

Figure 21 shows the integration object after synchronization.

Figure 21.  Synchronization Resulting in a Deleted Component

The component Contact_Personal Address has been deleted. When you use the updated integration object, you will not be able to pass data for that component between a Siebel application and an external application.

This example is intended to show how you might cause unexpected results by deselecting components. However, if you do want to delete a particular component from the integration object, deleting a component from the integration object method accomplishes that goal.

As the examples illustrate, you need to be aware of the possible changes that can occur when you are synchronizing business objects and integration objects. The Synchronization wizard can provide assistance in managing your integration objects, but you need to have a clear understanding of your requirements, your data model, and the Siebel business object structure before undertaking a task as important as synchronization.