Loading Data into the Meta Data Base: The Admins Parts

Checking the Input

All input into the loading tables should be checked, before it is transferred to the CERA tables. This can be done with the help of a tool script getLOAD.sql, that only writes all contents of the loading layer (=tables NEW_* and LOAD_*) unformatted to a spool file (getLOAD.lst). Better facilities should be developed.

Migrating the Contents of the Loading Tables to CERA

The migration from the nine main loading tables (LOAD_*) and the 22 doubles of the LOVs (NEW_*) to the CERA tables is done by SQL scripts. Firstly, the LOVs have to be updated as the constraints will hinder the insertion of an entry record, if any of its foreign keys is pointing to a non existent record of an LOV.

Supplementing the LOVs

The SQL script loadCHECKEDvalues.sql is responsble for loading the values, an operator has added to any of the LOV pull down menues (i.e. he has entered into one of the 22 tables "NEW_<lov>" where <lov> is the name of one of the CERA LOV tables). The action is logged into loadCHECKEDvalues.lst, which has to be error checked before the process of data transfer can go on. Errors have to be corrected in the corresponding CERA tables (read the comments at the beginning of loadCHECKEDvalues.sql).

Transfering the Meta Data

The transfer of the meta data is done by the SQL script loadCHECKEDdata.sql. It simply calls the scripts load_*.sql for each of the nine CERA Blocks. All actions are logged into "loadCHECKEDdata.lst", which has to be reviewed for errors after the procedure.
The data from the tables LOAD_* is transferred table by table by the related script load_*.sql. Before, the LOAD_* is updated to default values, whereever NULL values are encountered, as CERA does not allow NULL entries in any column.
As soon as data migration runs smoothly, the SQL of the nine load_*.sql may well be included into loadCHECKEDdata.sql. Presently the transfer SQL might not be free of errors (as of 1999 Mar 29).

Cleaning the Loading Layer for New Input

After proper transfer of the data (loading layer --> CERA) the tables of the loading layer have to be cleaned to give room for new input data. This is softly done by simple deletion of the loading layer's contents using the loadRESET.sql script (logging into loadRESET.lst) or by deleting and reinstalling of the loading tables by means of the scripts loadMDB.sql (logging into load.lst), which calls loadDROP.sql and afterwards loadMDBnew.sql, loadMDBload.sql, and loadMDBdata_acc.sql.

Checklist

The following list summarizes the data transfer from the loading layer tables to the CERA tables:

check all input tables NEW_* and LOAD_* for errors (use, e.g., getLOAD.sql),
run loadCHECKEDvalues.sql to transfer data from NEW_*,
check in loadCHECKEDvalues.lst for errors; if any, correct them,
run loadCHECKEDdata.sql to transfer data from LOAD_*,
check in loadCHECKEDdata.lst for errors; if any, correct them,
clean up the loading tables for new data by
- loadRESET.sql (deletion of records)
- loadMDB.sql (new installation).

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Last change: Fri May 28 21:40:55 NFT 1999