Interval Quantities are Stored in Data Sets

Interval data in the system may have many different origins.

  • It may be contract-related data that is set up at the beginning of the contract or contract year.
  • It may be data that is periodically interfaced from an external source.
  • It may be data that is derived and created through a system algorithm.

Regardless of the origin of the data, all data has similar characteristics:

  • Data is received by the system or created by the system periodically. The system stores whatever new data needs to be stored.
  • The period represented by the batch of new data is variable.
  • New data may be an update to previously received data.

The system accepts the new batches of data for a given profile and stores the data grouped together by a data set.

There are two effective dates referenced in the interval pricing information: Set Date/Time and Interval Value Date/Time. Think of the Set Date/Time as the effective date of the entire set of interval data. Think of Interval Date/Time as the effective date of the associated piece of data.

Refer to Algorithms Find the Most Up To Date Data for information about processing this data.