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EIM Object Types

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EIM object types are illustrated in Figure 57.

Figure 57. Architecture of EIM Object Types

The object types used in EIM configuration are described in the following section.

EIM Interface Table object type. The EIM Interface Table object type is an alternative representation of the Table object type, for tables of type Interface only. That is, each interface table has a table object definition (with a value of Interface in the Type property) and an EIM interface table object definition. This is illustrated in Figure 58.

Figure 58. Relationship Between EIM Interface Table and Table

The EIM Interface Table object type has all the properties of the Table object type, plus several additional properties that are specific to interface tables. EIM Interface Table has the following child object types: EIM Interface Table Column, EIM Table Mapping, and Interface Table User Key Usage.

EIM Interface Table Column object type. The EIM Interface Table Column object type is an alternative representation of the Column object type, for columns that are child object definitions of interface tables. For a given interface table, the same list of columns appears as column children of the table object definition and as EIM interface table column children of the corresponding EIM interface table object definition. This is illustrated in Figure 59.

Figure 59. Relationship Between EIM Interface Table Column and Column

The EIM Interface Table Column object type contains all the properties of the Column object type, in addition to some that are specific to EIM.

NOTE:  The Price List interface table EIM_PRI_LST is used in this and subsequent examples in the section.

Interface Table User Key Usage object type. This object type provides support for alternative user keys for base tables. An interface table user key usage object definition defines the use of a nontraditional user key for a given base table in a specific interface table.

NOTE:  Modifying user keys in standard Siebel tables or EIM base tables is a restricted activity and should not be attempted. Siebel Expert Services can assist customers in evaluating strategies to remap data in their implementations to make use of the current user key structure within their specific business requirements.

EIM Table Mapping object type. Identifies a data table that is updated by the parent EIM interface table object definition. One interface table may update one or more data tables, and each data table to be updated requires an EIM Table Mapping child object definition of the EIM Interface Table object. Each EIM Table Mapping object definition identifies the name of the destination table (data table to update) in its Destination Table property. This is illustrated in Figure 60.

Figure 60. EIM Table Mapping Configuration

EIM Table Mapping has two child object types: Attribute Mapping and Foreign Key Mapping.

Attribute Mapping object type. Identifies an attribute (data) column to update in the destination (base) table specified in the parent EIM table mapping. Each Attribute Mapping object definition identifies the column in the interface table that supplies the data (in the Interface Table Data Column property). It also identifies the column in the destination table that receives the data (in the Base Table Attribute Column property). This is illustrated in Figure 61.

Figure 61. Attribute Mapping Configuration

You can configure the Attribute Mapping object type. You should add a corresponding Attribute Mapping object definition when you add an extension column to a table, if the extension table is to be populated by an interface table.

Foreign Key Mapping object type. Each Foreign Key Mapping object definition identifies a foreign key column in the destination table that is to be populated from the interface table. Because foreign key values are stored as numeric row ID values in data tables, to populate one from an interface table it is necessary to map from the interface column to a combination of user key columns in the destination table, rather than directly to the foreign key column.

A foreign key mapping is not a one-to-one column mapping from interface table to destination table, as occurs with non-foreign key columns. The numeric foreign key does not even exist in the interface table, so it cannot be mapped. Instead, a combination of attribute columns in the destination table of the foreign key is used to access the desired row, and the foreign key value can be obtained from that row. These relationships are illustrated in Figure 62.

Figure 62. Foreign Key Mapping Configuration

Foreign Key Mapping Column object type. Each Foreign Key Mapping Column object definition identifies a piece of the user key columns; that is, one of the attribute columns used to locate rows in the table the foreign key points to. The user key columns, taken together, uniquely identify rows in that table. The Foreign Key Mapping Column object definitions identify these user key columns to the interface table, so that foreign key values can be derived when import or export takes place.
User Key object type. User Key is a child object type of Table. Each user key object definition provides a set of attribute columns and related information that specifies how the table's rows can be accessed in a particular EIM scenario. User Key has two child object types: User Key Column and User Key Attribute.
User Key Column object type. User key columns can be either attributes or foreign keys. In most cases these are the columns in the user key index (usually the index with a suffix of _U1), with the exception of the CONFLICT_ID column.
User Key Attribute object type. Each user key attribute object definition in the parent user key specifies one in the set of attribute columns that collectively identify rows in the grandparent table. The column name is specified in the Name property of the User Key Attribute object definition. User Key Attribute has one child object type, which is User Key Attribute Join.
User Key Attribute Join object type. Each User Key Attribute object definition has one or more User Key Attribute Join child object definitions. The user key attribute join specifies a join operation that can be used to convert a user key attribute that is itself a foreign key to another table into attribute column values in that table. For example, the S_PROD_INT (products) table has a user key consisting of three attributes: PROD_NAME, PROD_VENDOR and PROD_VEN_LOC. The PROD_NAME (product name) attribute column is directly obtained from the S_PROD_INT table, so no join is required. However, the PROD_VENDOR and PROD_VEN_LOC columns occur in the S_ORG_EXT (accounts) table, and must be obtained using a join on VENDR_OU_ID, a foreign key from S_PROD_INT to S_ORG_EXT.

Adding and modifying attribute mappings are subject to the restrictions identified in Table 15.

Table 15. Restrictions on Adding and Modifying Mappings

From	To	Conditions
Interface table column	Base column	Supported if there are existing mappings from this interface table into this data table.
Interface table extension column	Base column	Supported if there are no other mappings to this base column. Use with caution.
Interface table column	Extension table column	Supported if there are existing mappings from this interface table into the extension table's base table.
Interface table extension column	Extension table column	Supported if there are existing mappings from this interface table into the extension table's base table.

NOTE:  Do not map multiple interface table columns to a single column in a target table. This creates ambiguity for EIM. However, you can map a single column in an interface table to multiple base tables or extension tables.

You can deactivate mappings if they are no longer necessary. To deactivate a mapping, navigate to the Attribute Mapping Object definition in the Object List Editor and place a check mark in the Inactive property. You should not delete any mappings.

NOTE:  No validation is performed against interface table or column definitions. LOV validation is performed against the LOVs defined for the base columns to which they are mapped.

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