In our organization, we have a SQL Server sales/marketing database which a BO Universe is built upon. Additionally, each of our 6 regions have an ACD phone system that they want to ‘marry’ data with the sales/marketing application. Unfortunately, the ACD systems are different in each region, thus making it difficult for us to actually program this information dump into our application set/database structure.
If you are familiar with ACD systems, most of them can dump data into a flat text file. With BO, I know we can link two universes together. Here are my questions:
Can you build a universe structure off a flat text file?
If #1 is possible, can you combine (link) that universe with another
universe of a different database structure? 3) If #1 is not possible, we can dump the info into Access and create a
universe using the Access database, however the question #2 still exists…can I combine a SQL server database universe with an Access database universe and report of off them simultaneously?
Thanks,
Tim
Tim K Heuer
PacifiCare Health Systems
(714) 825-5702 - office
(800) 946-4645 pin 1404017 - pager heuer_tk@exchange.phs.com
In a message dated 98-06-24 11:00:44 EDT, you write:
Can you build a universe structure off a flat text file?
I think you might be able to do this, because I think that you can (or used to be able to) create an ODBC data source from a flat file. However, performance is not going to be very good, I don’t think. It - of course - depends on the size of your file. I would suggest using #3 below instead.
If #1 is possible, can you combine (link) that universe with
another
universe of a different database structure?
Yes; this is one of the strengths of the product compared to version 3. You can access data from multiple sources for the same report.
If #1 is not possible, we can dump the info into Access and create
a
universe using the Access database, however the question #2 still exists…can I combine a SQL server database universe with an Access database universe and report of off them simultaneously?
The actual answer to the question depends on what is meant by “simultaneously”. Yes, you can have information from two data providers in the same document. But each data provider (query) can only reference one data source (Universe, flat file, etc) at a time.
start a new document
create a query against your sales/mkt universe 3. create a query against your text file / access data source 4. link the queries
This topic is the subject of a paper I am working on for our web site titled “The Mystery of Multiple Data Providers… Explained!” which should be available at some point in the near future. There have been enough questions / interesting discussion on the list that it seems that this topic would benefit from some additional documentation.
Regards,
Dave Rathbun
Integra Solutions www.islink.com See you in Orlando in '98!