Configuring attributes

The attribute schema of a data domain is defined by its Property Description Records (PDRs) and Dimension Description Records (DDRs). Standard attributes are defined by PDRs, while managed attributes are defined by both PDRs and DDRs.

If you load data before defining an attribute schema, the loading interfaces (the Bulk Load Interface and Data Ingest Web Service [DIWS]) automatically create PDRs, and thus standard attributes, based on system defaults.

If you load managed attribute values before defining a managed attribute schema, the loading interface, the DIWS, automatically creates both the PDR (and thus a standard attribute) and the DDRs (and thus the managed attributes) based on system defaults.

Therefore, if the default configurations of the PDR and the DDR meet your needs, you may not need to load attribute configurations.

If the default attribute schemas (the default configuration of both the PDR and the DDRs) meet you needs, you do not need to load either the standard attribute configuration or the managed attribute configuration. You can load the managed attribute values and the PDRs and DDRs will be created automatically.
For details about loading managed attribute values, see Loading and modifying managed attribute values (MVALs).
If the default standard attribute schema (the configuration of the PDR) meets your needs but you need to customize the managed attribute schema (configuration of the DDRs):
1. Load the managed attribute schema (DDRs).
  For details, see Loading the managed attribute schema.
2. Load managed attribute values.
  For details, see Loading and modifying managed attribute values (MVALs).
If you need to customize the standard attribute schema (the PDR configuration) but the default managed attribute schema (DDR configuration) meets your needs:
1. Load the standard attribute schema (PDRs).
  For details see Loading the standard attribute schema.
2. Load managed attribute values.
  For details, see Loading and modifying managed attribute values (MVALs).
If you need to customize both the standard attribute schema (the PDR configuration) and the managed attribute schema (the DDR configuration):
1. Load the standard attribute schema (PDRs).
  For details see Loading the standard attribute schema.
2. Load the managed attribute schema (DDRs).
  For details, see Loading the managed attribute schema.
3. Load managed attribute values.
  For details, see Loading and modifying managed attribute values (MVALs).

Note that these operations should be performed in the specified order.

If you want to customize the standard attribute schema (customize the PDR configuration), you should load the custom standard attribute schema first, to ensure that the standard attributes have been created and configured.
If you want to customize the managed attribute schema (customize the DDR configuration), you should load the managed attribute schema after loading the standard attribute schema (if applicable), and before loading managed attribute values.
Load managed attribute values after loading the custom standard attribute and managed attribute schemas (configuring the PDR and the DDRs), but before loading data.
Load data after all attribute configuration (as well as any other data domain configuration) is complete.