Master Index Match Engine

The Master Index Match Engine provides record matching capabilities for external applications, including Sun Master Index applications. It works best along with the Master Index Standardization Engine, which provides the preprocessing of data that is required for accurate matching. The match engine compares records containing similar data types by calculating how closely certain fields in the records match. A weight is generated for each field and the sum of those weights (the composite weight) is either a positive or negative numeric value that represents the degree to which the two sets of data are similar. The composite weight could also be a function of the match field weights. The match engine relies on probabilistic algorithms to compare data using a comparison function specific to the type of data being compared. The composite weight indicates how closely two records match.

Master Index Match Engine Matching Weight Formulation

The Master Index Match Engine determines the matching weight between two records by comparing the match string fields between the two records using the defined rules and taking into account the matching logic specified for each field. The match engine can use either matching (m) and unmatching (u) conditional probabilities or agreement and disagreement weight ranges to fine-tune the match process.

M-probabilities and u-probabilities use logarithmic functions to determine the maximum agreement and minimum disagreement weights for a field. When agreement and disagreement weights are used instead, the maximum agreement and minimum disagreement weights are specified directly as integers.

The Master Index Match Engine uses a proven algorithm to arrive at a match weight for each match string field. It offers a comprehensive array of comparison functions that can be configured and used on different types of data. Additional comparison functions can be defined and incorporated into the match engine. The master engine allows you to incorporate weight curves, validations, class dependencies, and even external data files into the configuration of a comparison function.

Master Index Match Engine Features

The Master Index Match Engine provides comprehensive record matching capabilities to the Sun MDM Suite using trusted and proven methodologies. It includes the following features:

• Uses proven matching methodologies based on research at the U.S. Census Bureau, SRD, and customized for stable, reliable, and high-speed matching.

• Uses a combination of probabilistic and deterministic matching.

• Is very flexible and generic, allowing you to customize existing matching rules and to define custom rules as needed.

• Provides a comprehensive array of customizable comparators for matching on various types of fields, such as numbers, dates, single characters, and so on. Includes more specialized comparison functions for searching on specific types of data, such as person names, address fields, social security numbers, genders.

• Supports the creation of custom comparison functions to enable matching against any type of data. This is possible because the match engine is built on a pluggable architecture.

• Supports a variety of configurations for comparison functions, including validations, weighting curves, class dependencies, and the ability to access a data file that provides additional information on how to match data.

• Allows you to create new validation and configuration rules.

• Provides a simple and clear method to incorporate customizations into Sun Master Index applications.

• Matches on free-form fields by using the features of the Master Index Standardization Engine prior to matching.

• Outputs the composite match weight as well as the individual, field-level match weights.