Master Index Match Engine Match String Fields

In a master index application, the match string processed by the Master Index Match Engine is defined by the match fields specified in mefa.xml, and the logic for how the fields are matched is defined in the match configuration file (matchConfigFile.cfg). The match engine can process any combination of fields you specify for matching using the predefined comparators or any new comparators you define. Not all fields in a record need to be processed by the Master Index Match Engine. Before you define the match string, analyze your data to determine the fields that are most likely to indicate a match or non-match between two records.

The following topics provide additional information about the match string for different data types:

• Person Data Match String Fields

• Address Data Match String Fields

• Business Name Match String Fields

Person Data Match String Fields

By default, the match configuration file (matchConfigFile.cfg) includes rows specifically for matching on first name, last name, social security numbers, and dates (such as a date of birth). It also includes a row for matching a single character with logic specialized for a gender field. You can use any of the existing rows for matching or you can add rows for the fields you want to match. When matching on person names, determine whether you want to use the original field values, the normalized field values, or the phonetic values. The match engine can handle any of these types of fields, but the best comparator for each type might be different. Also determine how much weight you want to give each field type and configure the match configuration file accordingly.

Address Data Match String Fields

By default, the match configuration file (matchConfigFile.cfg) includes rows specifically for matching on the fields that are parsed from the street address fields, such as the street number, street direction, and so on. The file also defines several generic match types you can configure for address fields. You can use any of the existing rows for matching or you can add rows for the fields you want to match. If you specify an “Address” match type for any field in the Master Index Wizard, the default fields that store the parsed data are automatically added to the match string in mefa.xml. These fields include the house number, street direction, street type, and street name. You can remove any of these fields from the match string.

When matching on address fields, determine whether you want to use the original field values, the standardized field values, or the phonetic values. The match engine can handle any of these types of fields, but the best comparator for each type might be different. Also determine how much weight you want to give each field type and configure the match configuration file accordingly.

Business Name Match String Fields

By default, the match configuration file (matchConfigFile.cfg) includes rows specifically for matching on the fields that are parsed from the business name fields. The file also defines several generic match types you can customize to use with business name fields. You can use any of the existing rows for matching or you can add rows for the fields you want to match. If you specify a “BusinessName” match type for any field in the wizard, most of the parsed business name fields are automatically added to the match string in mefa.xml, including the name, organization type, association type, sector, industry, and URL. You can remove any of these fields from the match string.

When matching on business name fields, determine whether you want to use the original field values, the standardized field values, or the phonetic values. The match engine can handle any of these types of fields, but the best comparator for each type might be different. Also determine how much weight you want to give each field type and configure the match configuration file accordingly.