Working with table maps

Use a table map to define specifications for correlating source and destination tables of compatible data. You can map tables that have different names, modify table names, exclude tables from a process, or include column maps for greater control over the data.

Use a table map to:

Direct the placement of data in a convert, insert, or load service.
Exclude one or more tables from a convert, insert, or load service.
Add process actions for an insert or load service.
Include a column map.

Depending on the process for which you are using a table map, the two sets of tables are referred to as source tables and target tables:

Source tables are extracted tables that contain data to be used in a convert, insert, or load process.
Target tables are the tables into which data is converted, inserted, or loaded.

Note: Matched tables can have different creator IDs or names.

Table maps are stored in the Optim™ directory or embedded in a data management service.

As an option, you can use a column map for any pair of tables in a table map. Column maps identify and match columns in a pair of tables. A column map must be used when column names or attributes are dissimilar or data transformations are needed.

Naming conventions

The fully qualified name of a table map is in the form: identifier.name.

identifier: Identifier assigned to the table map (1 to 8 characters).
name: Name assigned to the table map (1 to 12 characters).

It is helpful to use a logical set of naming conventions to identify the use for each and to organize definitions for easy access.