IFB Parameters for EIM

The parameters used in an IFB are classified as follows:

• General Header Parameters.
• General Process Parameters.
• Import Process Parameters.
• Export Process Parameters.
• Delete Process Parameters.
• Merge Process Parameters.

General Header Parameters

These are the global parameters which are used in an IFB file and are written with in the Header section in an IFB file. They are :-

• CONNECT
• LOG TRANSACTIONS TO FILE
• PASSWORD
• PROCESS
• [Siebel Interface Manager]
• TABLEOWNER
• USER NAME

To know more on general header parameters, click here . . .

EIM Configuration File (IFB File)

An EIM process reads a configuration file, where different kinds of parameters are set for an EIM process. The configuration file, in short IFB file, defines the type of process, EIM table involved, batch number, and lots of other parameters.

An IFB file has two sections :-

1. Header Section.
2. Process Section.

Header Section

The header section defines the parameters that are common to all the processes defined in the file. 

Process Section

The process section defines parameters which are specific to that particular section.

Temporary Columns in EIM Tables

EIM tables (Interface tables) act as staging area which holds the data that has to be imported, data exported from the Siebel base tables, data to be deleted and that to be merged.

Every Siebel interface table has 4 types of temporary columns as defined below:

• UNQ column.
• EXS column.
• RID column.
• STA column.

Each of the temporary columns has a naming format as follows: 

" T_<base table without prefix S_>__<temporary column type> "

       Examples: T_ORG_EXT__UNQ, T_ORG_EXT__EXS, T_ORG_EXT__STA, T_ORG_EXT__RID

There are few exceptions for this naming rule.

       Examples: T_ACCNTPOST__STA, T_OPTYPOSTN__RID, T_PRODLNPOSTN__RID

Siebel Interface Tables (EIM Tables)

Interface tables act as staging area which holds the data that has to be imported, data exported from the Siebel base tables, data to be deleted and that to be merged. EIM process operates upon these tables and does the specified operation. Every interface table has columns that get mapped to base tables, few mandatory columns and many temporary columns. The mandatory columns are mainly ROW_ID, IF_ROW_STAT and IF_ROW_BATCH_NUM.

The temporary columns are those that are used by EIM task to manipulate data values at run times. These temporary columns store the ROW IDs of records, status of the record, uniqueness of the records, whether the record already exists in the database. Some temporary columns store the ROW ID values of deleted, merged, exported rows.

An Overview on EIM Functions and its requirements

Siebel EIM can be used to achieve four kinds of functionality in which all the functions deal with the data directly. The functions are :-

• Import new and revised data into Siebel Base Tables.
• Export existing data from Siebel Base Tables.
• Delete existing data from Siebel Base Tables.
• Merge existing data in Siebel Base Tables.

Importing Data

Data importing comes into picture under following business requirements:

• Initial implementation of Siebel application (Loading product data from the legacy database).
• Maintaining the Siebel database in long run (Importing archived data).
• Periodical updating of data into Siebel database from a non Siebel database.

Data Flow in EIM

Siebel EIM is server task that deals with the exchange of data between intermediary tables called interface tables and Siebel base tables.
In Siebel, we should not populate data directly into the base tables. At first, we have to populate data from legacy (an external database or a flat file) into the interface tables (EIM tables) and then from the interface table to its corresponding base table by running the EIM job.