Attribute properties

When adding or editing attributes from the Member Type tab, you must provide information in the Properties view for the attribute.

Use the attributes properties table as a reference for the property names and descriptions that you can set for member type attributes.

Table 1. Attributes properties
Property Description
Attrrecno A read-only field containing the ATTRRECNO field from the operational server database.
Code The code used to define the attribute. Avoid using underscore characters for attributes whose Storage type is external.
Description The description of the attribute.
Enumerated data type code Enumerated data type associated with this attribute. For example, Marital Status might have an EDT of married.
Label A label for the attribute.
Maximum active values The number in this field controls status assignment for updated values. For example, if this number is set to 1, only one attribute value of this type has an active status. Any updates to that value result in the new value being active and the previous value becoming inactive. A value of 0 indicates an unlimited number of active values are maintained. A value of 0 indicates an unlimited number of active values are maintained.
Maximum existing values This number indicates how many updated values are stored in history. Whatever number this is set to, the software stores that number of values, regardless of status, in history. For example, if the value is set to 2 and there are two attribute values currently stored, a third value causes the earliest value to be removed (trimmed) from the database.
Member status filter Member status filter controls which member records can have their attribute values modified: Active, Merged, Overlay, Deleted, or Fictitious. For example, if Active and Merged are selected for the Home Phone Number attribute, then member records with a status of Active and Merged can have their Home Phone Number attribute values modified.

This property setting can be confused with another member status filter that is set from the Entity Types tab. Setting this property from the Attributes tab modifies the mpi_segattr database table and controls only the ability to edit the selected attribute.
Name The name of the attribute.
Storage type The following are valid values for the storage type:
normal
if the attribute is stored in the operational server with other data from this source.
virtual
if the attribute is not stored in the database.
hub
if the attribute is to be controlled by InfoSphere® MDM software, and these attributes are often defined to supportInfoSphere MDM users during data remediation activities or for customers who want to track and use attributes that are not stored in a source system. In normal implementations, after a member is merged or logically deleted, their attributes cannot be modified. Additionally, attributes that are in a shadow state cannot be modified. However, if an attribute is defined as “controlled,” and thus is independent of a source system, the usual attribute validation does not apply, and modification is allowed. When an attribute update is made in the operational server, the InfoSphere MDM holds the attribute in a shadow state until a confirmation message is received indicating that the change has also been made in the source system. When the confirmation is received, the attribute status is changed to Active.

If you are adding Hub controlled attributes (HCA), an HCA composite view is automatically created. After the HCA is created, any MDM controlled attributes added through the Add Attribute function are automatically added to the view. InfoSphere MDM Workbench maintains the attributes for you in the HCA view (for example, if you delete the attribute from the Attributes view, the attribute is removed from the HCA view).
Also, if you want to be able to update MDM controlled attributes in InfoSphere MDM Inspector, you must select the Hub Controlled check box and select Member Status Filter settings.

It is not necessary to define the attribute for all sources.
Type The member type associated with the attribute. Each attribute type consists of one or more data fields that describe the individual components of the attribute. For information about managing attribute types, see Member types.