5.3.1.2 Enhancements added to Allocation Specifiation

To help the user to create functionally valid rules, we have added a set of UI validations in the Allocation Detail screen.

Limitation of using at most two tables per allocation rule

An allocation rule should functionally have at most two tables in its definition across Source, Driver, Debit, Credit. A rule is rendered ambiguous when we define more than 2 tables in its definition and the rule execution does not produce results.

A UI validation has been added on Save of the rule, restricting saving if the rule definition uses more than two tables.

Similarly, an allocation rule containing more than one management ledger table is not functionally valid and the application does not allow allocations to run across multiple management ledger tables. In cases where more than one management ledger table is used in the definition, the rule does not get saved and throws error.

Allocation Rule limitation on Output Dimensional constraints

This limitation is applicable only when the Output (Debit/Credit) table of an allocation rule is a Non-Management Ledger table, like an Instrument table or a Transaction Summary table.

When the Output table is a Non-Management Ledger table, the allocation engine updates only the value of the output column for a set of rows.

Earlier, two modes of selecting output dimensions was allowed – Macro and Leaf.

The problem with leaf selection is, the user can select any leaf member from the dropdown, that may not exist in the table, and even if exists in the table may not satisfy any output table row when further dimensions are selected in leaf mode. In such cases, no output rows will be selected for engine processing, resulting to no allocation output.

The user thus needs to go through the process of knowing the exact dimension values to be used for output selection. Altenatively, if the user chooses to use macros like <Same as Source> or <Same as Driver>, the user need not worry about the exact dimension value to be used as the engine takes the values from the table and the rows concerned.

Thus, when the output table is an Instrument table or a Transaction Summary table, the redundant Leaf mode of selecting output dimensions, has been removed, and the default mode for selecting output dimensions is Macro.

Allocation Rule limitation on Output Macros

This limitation is applicable only when the Output (Debit/Credit) table of an allocation rule is a Non-Management Ledger table, like an Instrument table or a Transaction Summary table, and we have discussed the default mode for selecting output dimensions in such cases to be Macro.

When the Output table in debit/credit tab is the same as the driver table, the macros dropdown excludes <Same as Source> from the list of available macros for the debit/credit tab.

This is because, when the output table is same as the driver table, we have either of the two cases:

• The source table is the same as that used in output and driver. Here, applying <Same as Source> in output would have the same impact as applying <Same as Driver>. Thus existence of both the macros is redundant.
• The source table is different than that used in output and driver. Here, using <Same as Source> in output carries the risk that the check is not satisfied as the underlying tables are different and in that case, the macro <Same as Source> does not hold any meaning. We need to remember that we are discussing cases when the output table is Non-Management Ledger table, for which the engine only updates the output column.

Similarly, when the Output table in debit/credit tab is the same as the source table, the macros dropdown excludes <Same as Driver> from the list of available macros for the debit/credit tab.