Using a Utility Table in dspMigrate

Every migration project is different. This is a universal truth and any consultant who has participated in such a project would agree. Fortunately, flexibility is one of the many benefits in using dspMigrate, the premier data software solution in data migration and conversion. This flexibility therefore empower migration teams to perform migrations that are nimble enough to be on time, on budget and culminate into a boring go-live after a production load.

Using a utility table is just one of the many pieces of the puzzle in a migration project that can assist in the loading and analysis of a project's target data. Utility tables are used in various applications, with the general idea that it is used outside of the actual migration and not part of it. In the example presented in this article, a utility table will be illustrated to be used as a post load analysis tool.

NOTE: The utility table in a post load scenario will require target data from the migration project, so a fully-functional and populated target table will need to be configured first. A post load table will be used to compare the data in a migration's target table (intended data to load) with the data that was already loaded in the target system.

Utility Table Setup

• Creation of a utility table begins in the Design component of dspMigrate. Add a new target in Design.
• Adding a target system type and table name will not be necessary. 
• Be sure to name the new table beginning with 'tt,' as per dsp's naming convention. Make the name unique.
• Select 'utility' for the usage field. This will allow the utility table to bypass mapping.
• Sync to map to push the new table to the Transform tool for testing and implementation.

Data Acquisition

• Since mapping is bypassed, the AutoGen component will not access utility targets as well. In Transform, there will be a line item for the newly-created utility target, but it is not usable yet.
• Since the utility table will compare data taken from a migration's target table, it would make sense that a utility table's structure reflects the target table. Replicate the target table's structure and schema and be sure to name the new table exactly as specified as the name when the target was created in Design.
• An insert target rule will need to be written that will move the data from the main target table into the utility table.
• Remember to also create a delete target rule and register it with a lower priority than the insert rule to make a repeatable process situation so users can process the target repeatedly.

With the utility table registered in Transform, populated with data from the main target table, users can create their post load scenario as the project dictates. This business use is one of many examples of how the flexibility of dspMigrate, in conjunction with the power of the dsp framework, can meet the challenging needs of the varying demands of a migration project.

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