23 Matching, Merging, and Deduplication

Example: A Basic Mapping with a Match Merge Operator

Figure 23-1 shows a mapping that uses a Match Merge operator. Notice that the Match Merge operator is preceded by a Name and Address operator, NAMEADDR, and a staging table, CLN_CUSTOMERS. In many scenarios, when cleansing and deduplicating name and address data, it makes sense to combine the Match Merge operator with the Name and Address operator in a mapping. Performing name and address cleansing on your source data provides clean and standardized input data for matching and merging. This improves the quality of your results, and can improve performance because cleansed rows are more easily identified as matches

Figure 23-1 Match Merge Operator in a Mapping

Description of "Figure 23-1 Match Merge Operator in a Mapping"

The simple mapping represents the flow of data for the matching and merging process:

• The Customers table provides input to the Name and Address operator, which stores its output in the CLN_CUSTOMERS table.

• The CLN_CUSTOMERS table provides FIRST, LAST, and ADDRESS columns as inputs to the Match Merge operator.

• The Match Merge operator provides FIRST, LAST, and ADDRESS input to the MM_CUSTOMERS table (the actual deduplicated rows), and FIRST, LAST, ADDRESS, MM_FIRST, MM_LAST, and MM_ADDRESS input to the REF_TABLE table, which identifies the groups of matched rows from the input.

Details of how this matching process works are described in "Overview of the Matching and Merging Process".

Overview of the Matching and Merging Process

Matching determines which records refer to the same logical data. Oracle Warehouse Builder provides a variety of match rules to compare records. Match rules range from a simple exact match to sophisticated algorithms that can discover and correct common data entry errors.

Merging consolidates matched records into a single consolidated "golden" record based on survivorship rules called merge rules that you select or define for creating a merged value for each column.

If you have some other tool, such as a packaged MDM application, that has logic for merging duplicate records, you can still use Oracle Warehouse Builder to generate the set of candidate matched rows and store those in an intermediate table.

Process for Matching and Merging Records

You use the Match Merge operator to match and merge records. This operator accepts records from an input source, determines the records that are logically the same, and constructs a new merged record from the matched records.

The high-level tasks involved in matching and merging process include the following:

• "Constructing Match Bins"

• "Constructing Match Record Sets"

• "Constructing Merge Records"

Figure 23-2 represents high-level tasks involved in the matching and merging process.

Figure 23-2 Matching and Merging Process

Description of "Figure 23-2 Matching and Merging Process"

Constructing Match Bins

The match bin is constructed using the match bin attributes. Records with the same match bin attribute values reside in the same match bin. A small match bin is desirable for efficiency.

Constructing Match Record Sets

Match rules are applied to all the records in each match bin to generate one or more match record sets. Match rules determine if two records match. The matching algorithm is an n X n algorithm where all records in the match bin are compared.

One important point of this algorithm is the transitive matching. Consider three records A, B, and C. If record A equals record B and record B equals record C, then record A equals record C.

See Also:

"Match Rules" for information about the types of match rules and how to create them.

Constructing Merge Records

A single merge record is constructed from each match record set. You can create specific rules to define merge attributes by using merge rules.

See Also:

"Merge Rules" for more information about the types of merge rules.

Match Rules

Match rules are used to determine if two records are logically similar. Oracle Warehouse Builder enables you to use different types of rules to match source records. You can define match rules using the MatchMerge Wizard or the MatchMerge Editor. Use the editor to edit existing match rules or add new rules.

Match rules can be active or passive. Active rules are generated and run in the order specified. Passive rules are generated but are not automatically run. A passive rule may be run by a custom rule.

Table 23-1 describes the types of match rules.

Conditional Match Rules

Conditional match rules specify the conditions under which records match.

A conditional match rule enables you to combine multiple attribute comparisons into one composite rule. When multiple attribute is involved in a rule, two records are considered to be a match only if all comparisons are true. Oracle Warehouse Builder displays an AND icon in the left-most column of subsequent conditions.

You can specify how attributes are compared using comparison algorithms.

Attribute

Identifies the attribute that is tested for a particular condition. You can select from any input attribute (INGRP1).

Position

The order of execution. You can change the position of a rule by clicking on the row header and dragging the row to its new location. The row headers are the boxes to the left of the Attribute column.

Algorithm

You use a list of methods to determine a match. Table 23-2 describes the algorithms.

Similarity Score

The minimum similarity value required for two strings to match, as calculated by the Edit Distance, Standardized Edit Distance, Jaro-Winkler, or Standardized Jaro-Winkler algorithms. Enter a value between 0 and 100. A value of 100 indicates an exact match, and a value of 0 indicates no similarity.

Blank Matching

Lists options for handling empty strings in a match.

Match Rules: Basic Example

The following discussions illustrate how some basic match rules apply to real data and how multiple match rules can interact with each other.

Weight Match Rules

A weighted match rule enables you to assign an integer weight to each attribute included in the rule. You must also specify a threshold. For each attribute, the Match Merge operator multiplies the weight by the similarity score, and sums the scores. If the sum equals or exceeds the threshold, then the two records being compared are considered a match.

Weight match rules are most useful when you must compare a large number of attributes, without having a single attribute that is different causing a non-match, as can happen with conditional rules.

Weight rules implicitly invoke the similarity algorithm to compare two attribute values. This algorithm returns an integer, a percentage value in the range 0 to 100, which represents the degree to which two values are alike. A value of 100 indicates that the two values are identical; a value of zero indicates no similarity whatsoever.

Similarity Algorithm

The method used to determine a match. Choose from these algorithms:

• Edit Distance: Calculates the number of deletions, insertions, or substitutions required to transform one string into another.

• Jaro-Winkler: Uses an improved comparison system over the Edit Distance algorithm. It accounts for the length of the strings and penalizes more for errors at the beginning. It also recognizes common typographical errors.

Attribute

Identifies the attribute that is tested for a particular condition. You can select from any input attribute (INGRP1).

Maximum Score

The weight value for the attribute. This value should be greater than the value of Required Score to Match.

Score When Blank

The similarity value when one of the records is empty.

Required Score to Match

A value that represents the similarity required for a match. A value of 100 indicates that the two values are identical. A value of zero indicates there is no similarity.

Person Match Rules

Built-in Person rules provide an easy and convenient way for matching names of individuals. Person match rules are most effective when the data has first been corrected using the Name and Address operator.

When you use Person match rules, you must specify which data within the record represents the name of the person. The data can come from multiple columns. Each column must be assigned an input role that specifies what the data represents.

To define a Person match rule, you must define the Person Attributes that are part of the rule. For example, you can create a Person match rule that uses the Person Attributes first name and last name for comparison. For each Person Attribute, you must define the Person Role that the attribute uses. Next you define the rule options used for the comparison. For example, while comparing last names, you can specify that hyphenated last names should be considered a match.

Firm Match Rules

Built-in Firm match rules provide an easy and convenient way for matching business names. Firm match rules are most effective when the data has first been corrected using the Name and Address operator. Similar to the Person rule, this rule requires users to set what data within the record represents the name of the firm. The data can come from multiple columns and each column specified must be assigned an input role that indicates what the data represents.

You need not assign a firm role to every attribute, and not every role must be assigned to an attribute. The attributes assigned to firm roles are used in the match rule to compare the records. The attributes are compared based on the role that they have been assigned and other comparison options that you have set. For a complete list of firm roles and how each role is treated in a firm match rule, see "Firm Roles".

Address Match Rules

Address match rules provide a method of matching records based on postal addresses. Address match rules are most effective when the data has first been corrected using a Name and Address operator.

Address match rules work differently depending on whether the address being processed has been corrected using the Name and Address operator. Generally, corrected addresses have been identified in a postal matching database, and are therefore syntactically correct, legal, and existing addresses according to the Postal Service of the country containing the address. Corrected addresses can be processed more quickly, because the match rule can ensure assumptions about their format.

Uncorrected addresses may be syntactically correct, but have not been found in a postal matching database. Addresses may have not been found because they are not in the database, or because there is no postal matching database installed for the country containing the address. Address match rules determine whether an address has been corrected based on the Is_found role. If the Is_found role is not assigned, then the match rule performs the comparisons for both the corrected and uncorrected addresses.

To create an Address match rule, assign address roles to the various attributes. The attributes assigned to address roles are used in the match rule to compare the records. Attributes are compared depending on which role they have been assigned, and what other comparison options have been set.

Custom Match Rules

Custom match rules enable you to write your own comparison algorithms to match records. You can use any input attributes or match functions within this comparison. You can use an active custom rule to control the execution of passive rules.

Consider the following three passive built-in rules:

• NAME_MATCH: built-in name rule

• ADDRESS_MATCH: built-in address rule

• TN_MATCH: built-in conditional rule

You can create a custom rule to specify that two records can be considered a match if any two of these rules are satisfied. Example 23-1 describes the PL/SQL code used to create the custom match rule that implements this example.

BEGIN
   RETURN(
       (NAME_MATCH(THIS_,THAT_) AND ADDRESS_MATCH(THIS_,THAT_))
     OR
       (NAME_MATCH(THIS_,THAT_) AND TN_MATCH(THIS_,THAT_))
     OR
       (ADDRESS_MATCH(THIS_,THAT_) AND TN_MATCH(THIS_,THAT_))
         );
END;

Merge Rules

Matching produces a set of records that are logically the same. Merging is the process of creating one record from the set of matched records. A Merge rule is applied to attributes in the matched record set to obtain a single value for the attribute in the merged record.

You can define one Merge rule for all the attributes in the Merge record or define a rule for each attribute. For instance, if the merged record is a customer record, it may have attributes such as ADDRESS1, ADDRESS2, CITY, STATE, and ZIP. You can write five rules that select the value of each attribute from up to five different records, or one Record rule that selects the values of all five attributes from one record. Use Record rules when multiple attributes compose a logical unit, such as an address. For example, City, State, and Zip Code might be three different attributes, but the data for these attributes should all come from the same record.

Table 23-17 describes the types of merge rules.

Match ID Merge Rule

Use the Match ID merge rule to merge records that have been output in the XREF group from another Match Merge operator. No other operator is valid for this type of input. For more information, see "Example: Using Two Match Merge Operators for Householding".

Next Value of the Sequence

Identifies the sequence that is used by the rule.

Sequences list

Lists all sequences defined in the current project.

Select Sequence

Sets the sequence for the rule to the sequence currently selected in the list. Move a sequence from the sequences list to Select Sequence.

Rank and Rank Record Merge Rules

Use the Rank and Rank Record rules when merging data from multiple sources. These rules enable you to identify your preference for certain sources. Your data must have a second input attribute on which the rule is based.

For example, the second attribute might identify the data source, and these data sources are ranked in order of reliability. The most reliable value would be used in the merged record. The merge rule might look like this:

INGRP1.SOURCE = 'Order Entry'

Name

An arbitrary name for the rule. Oracle Warehouse Builder creates a default name such as RULE_0 for each Rank merge rule. You can replace these names with meaningful ones.

Position

The order of execution. You can change the position of a rule by clicking on the row header and dragging the row to its new location. The row headers are the boxes to the left of the Name column.

Expression Record Selection

The custom SQL expression used in the ranking. Click the Ellipsis button to display the Rank Rule Editor (also called the Expression Builder User Interface). Use this editor to develop the ranking expression.

Sequence Merge Rule

The Sequence rule uses the next value in a sequence.

Next Value of the Sequence

Identifies the sequence that is used by the rule.

Sequences list

Lists all sequences defined in the current project.

Select Sequence

Sets the sequence for the rule to the sequence currently selected in the list.

Min Max and Min Max Record Merge Rules

The Min Max and Min Max Record rules select an attribute value based on the size of another attribute value in the record.

For example, you might select the First Name value from the record in each bin that contains the longest Last Name value.

Selecting Attribute

Lists all input attributes. Select the attribute whose values provide the order.

Attribute Relation

Select the characteristic for choosing a value in the selected attribute.

• Minimum. Selects the smallest numeric value or the oldest date value.

• Maximum. Selects the largest numeric value or the most recent date value.

• Shortest. Selects the shortest character value.

• Longest. Selects the longest character value.

Copy Merge Rule

The Copy rule uses the values from another merged attribute.

Merged Attribute

Lists the other merged attributes, which you selected on the Merge Attributes page.

Custom and Custom Record Merge Rules

The Custom and Custom Record rules use PL/SQL code that you provide to merge the records. The following is an example of a Custom merge rule, which returns the value of the TAXID attribute for record 1.

BEGIN
RETURN M_MATCHES(1)."TAXID";
END;

The following is an example of a Custom Record merge rule, which returns a record for record 1:

BEGIN
RETURN M_MATCHES(1);
END;

Merge Rules Detail

Displays the PL/SQL code composing your custom algorithm. You can edit code directly in this field or use the Custom Merge Rule Editor.

Edit

Displays the Custom Merge Rule Editor.

Steps to Use a Match Merge Operator

To match and merge source data using the Match Merge operator:

1. Drag and drop the operators representing the source data and the operator representing the merged data onto the Mapping Editor canvas.

   For example, if your source data is stored in a table, and the merged data is stored in another table, drag and drop two Table operators that are bound to the tables onto the canvas.

2. Drag and drop a Match Merge operator onto the Mapping Editor canvas.

   The MatchMerge Wizard is displayed.

3. On the Name page, the Name field contains a default name for the operator. You can change this name or accept the default name.

   You can enter an optional description for the operator.

4. On the Groups page, you can rename groups or provide descriptions for them.

   This page contains the following three groups:

   • INGRP1: Contains input attributes.

   • MERGE: Contains the merged records (usually this means fewer records than INGRP1).

   • XREF: Contains the link between the original and merged data sets. This is the tracking mechanism used when a merge is performed.

5. On the Input Connections page, move the attributes to match and merge from the Available Attributes section to the Mapped Attributes section. Click Next.

   The Available Attributes section of this page displays nodes for each operator on the canvas. Expand a node to display the attributes contained in the operator, select the attributes, and use the shuttle arrows to move selected attributes to the Mapped Attributes section.

   Note:

   The Match Merge operator requires an ordered input data set. If you have source data from multiple operator, then use a Set Operation operator to combine the data and obtain an ordered data set.

6. On the Input Attributes page, review the attribute data types and lengths.

   In general, if you go through the wizard, you need not change any of these values. Oracle Warehouse Builder populates them based on the output attributes.

7. On the Merge Output page, select the attributes to be merged from the input attributes.

   These attributes appear in the Merge output group (the cleansed group). The attributes in this group retain the name and properties of the input attributes.

8. On the Cross Reference Output page, select attributes for the XREF output group.

   The Source Attributes section contains all the input attributes and the Merge attributes that you selected on the Merge Output page. The attributes from the Merge group are prefixed with MM_. The other attributes define the unmodified input attribute values. Select at least one attribute from the Merge group that provides a link between the input and Merge groups.

9. On the Match Bins page, specify the match bin attributes. These attributes are used to group source data into match bins.

   After the first deployment, you can choose whether to match and merge all records or only new records. To match and merge only the new records, select Match New Records Only.

   You must designate a condition that identifies new records. The Match Merge operator treats the new records in the following way:

   • No matching is performed for any records in a match bin unless the match bin contains a new record.

   • Old records are not compared with each other.

   • A matched record set is not presented to the merge processing unless the matched record set contains a new record.

   • An old record is not presented to the Xref output unless the record is matched to a new record.

   For more information about match bin attributes and match bins, see "Overview of the Matching and Merging Process".

10. On the Define Match Rules page, define the match rules that is used to match the source data.

    Match rules can be active or passive. A passive match rule is generated but not automatically invoked. You must define at least one active match rule.

    For more information about the match rules, the types of match rules that you can define, and the steps used to define them, see "Match Rules".

11. On the Merge Rules page, define the rules that is used to merge the sets of matched records created from the source data.

    You can define Merge rules for each attribute in a record or for the entire record. Oracle Warehouse Builder provides different types of Merge rules.

    For more information about the types of Merge rules and the steps to create Merge rules, see "Merge Rules".

12. On the Summary page, review your selections. Click Back to modify any selection that you made. Click Next to complete creating the Match Merge operator.

13. Map the Merge group of the Match Merge operator to the input group of the operator that stores the merged data.

Considerations When Designing Mappings Containing Match Merge Operators

Be aware of the following considerations as you design your mapping:

• Operating modes: A mapping that contains a Match Merge operator can only run in set-based mode. Operators may accept either set-based or row-based input and generate either set-based or row-based output. SQL is set-based, so a set of records is processed. PL/SQL is row-based, so each row is processed separately. When the Match Merge operator matches records, it compares each row with the subsequent row in the source, and generates row-based code only.

• SQL-based operators before Match Merge: The Match Merge operator accepts set-based SQL input, but generates only row-based PL/SQL output. Any operators that generate only SQL code must precede the Match Merge operator. For example, the Joiner, Lookup, and Set operators generate set-based SQL output, so they must precede the Match Merge operator. If set-based operators appear after Match Merge operator, then the mapping is invalid. If you process the output of a match-merge mapping using a set-based SQL operator, then stage the output in an intermediate table.

• PL/SQL input: The Match Merge operator requires SQL input except from another Match Merge operator, as described in "Example: Using Two Match Merge Operators for Householding". To precede a Match Merge operator with an operator that generates only PL/SQL output, then you must first load the data into a staging table.

• Refining data from Match Merge operators: To achieve greater data refinement, map the XREF output from one Match Merge operator into another Match Merge operator. This scenario is the one exception to the SQL input rule for Match Merge operators. With additional design elements, the second Match Merge operator accepts PL/SQL. For more information, see "Example: Using Two Match Merge Operators for Householding".

Example: Using Two Match Merge Operators for Householding

Most match-merge operations can be performed by a single Match Merge operator. However, if you are directing the output to two different targets, then you must use two Match Merge operators in succession.

For example, when householding name and address data, you must merge the data first for addresses and then again for names. Assuming that you map the MERGE output to a target table, you can map the XREF group to another Match Merge operator.

Figure 23-3 shows a mapping that uses two Match Merge operators. The XREF group from MM is mapped directly to MM_1. For this mapping to be valid, you must assign the Match ID generated for the first XREF group as the Match Bin rule on the second Match Merge operator.

Figure 23-3 Householding Data: XREF Group Merged to Second Match Merge Operator

Description of "Figure 23-3 Householding Data: XREF Group Merged to Second Match Merge Operator"