Survivor Calculator Overrides

Every time a source record is updated, the survivor calculator determines whether the new information should be populated into the SBR. This includes updates from the MIDM and from local systems. Typically, when you update information in an object profile, you update the source record, which kicks off the survivor calculator. The MIDM provides two methods to override the survivor calculator for the SBR. You can update the SBR directly and lock that field for editing, or you can link the value of an SBR field to the value of a source record field.

Linking Source Record Fields to the SBR

The MIDM provides the ability to link the value of a specific source record field to the same field in the SBR. When you link an SBR and source record field, the value of the SBR field is always the same value as the field in that source record. If the field value is subsequently updated in the source record, the changes are shown in the SBR. The field values remain the same until the link is removed, at which point the survivor calculator immediately recalculates the best value for the field based on the source records in the profile. You can only link SBR and source record fields in the parent object and only if you have explicit security permissions to do so.

Locking Field Values in the SBR

When you update an SBR field directly, you can select an overwrite check box to save the changes to the database. You can also select the overwrite check box to lock an SBR field and prevent it from being updated by any source record changes or by the survivor calculator until the overwrite check box is cleared. When a field is unlocked, the survivor calculator immediately recalculates the best value for that field based on the source records in the profile.

If you lock a field in a child object, such as an Address or Phone object, then the key field (in this case, Address Type or Phone Type), is automatically locked. When you add a child object, such as a telephone number or address, directly to the SBR, all fields in that object are automatically locked and cannot be overwritten by the survivor calculator. If you unlock all the fields in that object, it is removed from the SBR by the survivor calculator.

Use this capability cautiously, since fields updated in the SBR cannot be overwritten by new information from local systems until the overwrite check box is cleared. You can only update an SBR and select or clear the overwrite check box for parent object fields, and only if you have explicit security permissions to do so.