Assigning key column values

Use the Generate key table transformer to add a unique key to a warehouse table.  

You can change values in the key column in two ways:

You can change values based on a column of data type INT or SMALLINT in the target table or another table in the Warehouse target.

You can replace all the key values in the key column of the target table.

The Generate Key Table transformer uses a Warehouse target table as a source. The transformer writes to a table on the Warehouse target. Before you define this step, link the Warehouse target to the step in the Process Modeler, with the arrow pointing towards the step.

You can make changes to the step only when the step is in Development mode.

Authorities and privileges

To define a Generate key table transformer:

1. Open the step notebook.

2. Specify information for your step:

   • In the Name field, you can type a new name for the step. Otherwise, you can keep the name that the Data Warehouse Center automatically supplied for the step. This field is required.

   • In the Administrator field, type the name of the person who is responsible for the maintenance of this step. This field is optional.

   • In the Description field, type a business description for your step. This description can be a maximum of 255 characters. This field is optional.

   • In the Notes field, type detailed information that might be helpful to users who can access this step. This field is optional.

3. On the Parameters page, click the column from the Available columns list that you want to assign key values to. Then, click >. The selected column does not need to be a primary key column. This step is required.

4. Specify whether you want to:

   • Update values in the key column based on a column in the selected step.

   • Replace all key column values in the existing key column.

5. On the Processing Options page, in the Agent Site list, select an agent site where you want your step to run. The selections in this list are agent sites that are common to the source tables, the target table, and the transformer or program that you are defining.

6. If you want to have the option to to run your step at any time, select the Run on demand checkbox. Your step must be in test or production mode before you can run it.

7. Optional: Select the Populate externally check box if the step is populated externally, meaning that it is invoked in some way other than by the Data Warehouse Center. The step does not have to have any other means of running in the Data Warehouse Center in order to change the mode to production.

   If Populate externally is not selected, then the step must either have a schedule, be linked to a transient table that is input to another step, or be started by another program in order to change the mode to production.

8. In the Retry area, specify how many times you want the step to run again if it needs to be retried and the amount of time that you want to pass before the next run of the step.

9. In the Log table field, specify a log table.

10. Optional: In the Trace level field, specify a trace level.

11. Click OK. to save your changes and close the step notebook.

Related information

Moving and transforming data

Population type descriptions

List of steps and step subtypes

Data Warehouse Center concepts