Managing Siebel Metadata

Creating Synonyms

How to:

Create a Synonym
Set Visibility Mode

Reference:

Synonym Creation Parameters for Siebel
Managing Synonyms
Access File Attributes

Synonyms define unique names (or aliases) for each Business Component (BC) that is accessible from a server. Synonyms are useful because they hide location information and the identity of the underlying data source from client applications. They also provide support for extended metadata features of the server such as virtual fields and additional security mechanisms.

Using synonyms allows an object to be moved or renamed while allowing client applications to continue functioning without modification. The only modification required is a redefinition of the synonym on the server. The result of creating a synonym is a Master File and Access File.

Procedure: How to Create a Synonym

From the Web Console sidebar, click Applications or Connect to Data.

The Applications page opens.
If you started from the Applications page, right-click an application folder, point to New, and click Synonym on the context menu.

The Connect to Data page opens.
On the Configured list, click the down arrow next to a connection for the configured adapter, or right-click a connection.
Depending on the type of adapter you chose, one of the following options appears on the context menu.
- Show DBMS objects. This opens the page for selecting synonym objects and properties.
- Create metadata objects. This opens the page for selecting synonym objects and properties.
- Show files. This opens a file picker. After you choose a file of the correct type, the page for selecting synonym objects and properties opens.
- Show local files. This opens a file picker. After you choose a file of the correct type, the page for selecting synonym objects and properties opens.
- Show topics. This opens the page for selecting synonym objects and properties for topics within the Kafka environment.
Enter values for the parameters required by the adapter as described in the chapter for your adapter.
After entering the parameter values, click the highlighted button on the ribbon.

The button may be labeled Next, Create Synonym, Create Base Synonyms, Create Cluster Synonym, or Update Base Synonyms.

The synonym creation process for most adapters has been consolidated so that you can enter all necessary parameters on one page. However, for some adapters such as LDAP, you must click Next buttons until you get to a page that has a Create Synonym button.

The synonym is created and added under the specified application directory.

Note: When creating a synonym, if you choose the Validate check box (where available), the server adjusts special characters and checks for reserved words. For more information, see Validation for Special Characters and Reserved Words.

Reference: Synonym Creation Parameters for Siebel

The following list describes the parameters for which you will need to supply values, and related tasks you will need to complete in order to create a synonym for the adapter. These options may appear on multiple panes. To advance from pane to pane, click the buttons provided, ending with the Create Synonym button, which generates the synonym based on your entries.

Filter by Business Objects

Select this option to filter the Business Objects for which you wish to create synonyms.

When you filter by name, the Business Object Name input box is displayed. Enter a string for filtering the Business Objects, inserting the wildcard character (%) as needed at the beginning and/or end of the string. For example, enter ABC% to select Business Objects which begin with the letters ABC; %ABC to select Business Objects which end with the letters ABC; %ABC% to select Business Objects which contain the letters ABC at the beginning, middle, or end.

Select BOs button

Click this button to display the Business Objects that meet the specified criteria.

Filter Business Components

Select this option to filter the Business Components for which you wish to create synonyms. When you choose to filter, the Business Component Name input box is displayed.

Enter a string for filtering the Business Component, inserting the wildcard character (%) as needed at the beginning and/or end of the string. For example, enter ABC% to select Business Component which begin with the letters ABC; %ABC to select Business Component which end with the letters ABC; %ABC% to select Business Component which contain the letters ABC at the beginning, middle, or end.

Select Company Object

Select the business object for which you want to see business components.

Select BCs button

Click this button to display the Select Business Components. All Business Components that meet the specified criteria appear.

Validate

Select the Validate check box if you wish to convert all special characters to underscores and perform a name check to prevent the use of reserved names. (This is accomplished by adding numbers to the names.) This parameter ensures that names adhere to specifications. See Validation for Special Characters and Reserved Words for more information.

When the Validate option is unchecked, only the following characters are converted to underscores: '-'; ' '; ' \'; '/'; ','; '$'. No checking is performed for names.

Make unique

Select the Make unique check box if you wish to set the scope for field and group names to the entire synonym. This ensures that no duplicate names are used, even in different segments of the synonym. When this option is unchecked, the scope is the segment.

Application

Select an application directory. The default value is baseapp.

Prefix/Suffix

If you have tables with identical table names, assign a prefix or a suffix to distinguish them. For example, if you have identically named human resources and payroll tables, assign the prefix HR to distinguish the synonyms for the human resources tables. Note that the resulting synonym name cannot exceed 64 characters.

If all tables and views have unique names, leave the prefix and suffix fields blank.

Overwrite Existing Synonyms

To specify that this synonym should overwrite any earlier synonym with the same fully qualified name, select the Overwrite existing synonyms check box.

Note: The connected user must have operating system write privileges in order to recreate a synonym.

Default Synonym Name

This column displays the name that will be assigned to each synonym. To assign a different name, replace the displayed value.

Select Business Object and Component

To select all Business Objects/Business Components in the list, select the check box to the left of the Default Synonym Name column heading.
To select specific Business Objects/Business Components, select the corresponding check boxes.

Example: Creating a Synonym

To generate a synonym for the ACCOUNT Siebel Business Object and Siebel Business Component, enter the following information on the Create Synonym panes of the Web Console or the Data Management Console:

Click the Filter Business Objects check box, enter ACCOUNT in the Name field, and click the Select BOs button.
On the second Create Synonym pane, click the Filter Business Components check box, enter ACCOUNT, and click the Select BCs button.
Select Account in the Default Synonym name column.
Click Create Synonym. The synonym is created and added under the specified application directory (baseapp is the default).
A status window displays the message: All Synonyms Created Successfully
From the message window, click Applications on the menu bar.
Open the baseapp application folder in the navigation pane and click the synonym account.
Choose Edit as Text from the menu to view the generated Master File, then choose Edit Access File as Text to view the corresponding Access File.

Generated Master File account.mas

FILENAME=ACCOUNT, SUFFIX=SIBIN   , $
  SEGMENT=ACCOUNT, SEGTYPE=S0, $
    FIELDNAME=VISIBILITY_MODE, ALIAS=VISIBILITY_MODE, USAGE=A15, ACTUAL=A15,
      ACCEPT='SalesRep' OR 'Manager' OR 'Personal' OR 'All' OR 'Organization' OR
      'Contact' OR 'Group' OR 'Catalog' OR 'SubOrganization', $
    FIELDNAME=ACCOUNT_COMPETITORS, ALIAS='Account Competitors', USAGE=A500,
      ACTUAL=A500, MISSING=ON, $
    FIELDNAME=ACCOUNT_CONDITION, ALIAS='Account Condition', USAGE=A500, ACTUAL=A500,
      MISSING=ON, $
    FIELDNAME=ACCOUNT_MARKETS, ALIAS='Account Markets', USAGE=A500, ACTUAL=A500,
      MISSING=ON, $
    FIELDNAME=ACCOUNT_ORGANIZATION_INTEGRATION_ID,
      ALIAS='Account Organization Integration Id', USAGE=A30, ACTUAL=A30,
      MISSING=ON, $
    FIELDNAME=ACCOUNT_PRODUCTS, ALIAS='Account Products', USAGE=A500, ACTUAL=A500,
      MISSING=ON, $
    FIELDNAME=ACCOUNT_ROLE, ALIAS='Account Role', USAGE=A30, ACTUAL=A30, MISSING=ON, 
$
.
.
.
    FIELDNAME=MISSION, ALIAS=Mission, USAGE=A500, ACTUAL=A500,MISSING=ON, $
    FIELDNAME=NAME, ALIAS=Name, USAGE=A100, ACTUAL=A100, MISSING=ON, $
    FIELDNAME=NAME_AND_LOCATION, ALIAS='Name and Location', USAGE=A255, ACTUAL=A255,
      MISSING=ON, $
    FIELDNAME=NOT_MANAGER_FLAG, ALIAS='Not Manager Flag', USAGE=A255, ACTUAL=A255,
      MISSING=ON, $
.
.
.

Generated Access File account.acx

SEGNAME=ACCOUNT, CONNECTION=SIB1, SEGNAME_MVG=Account,
  REPOSITORY=Siebel Repository, BS_OBJECT=Account, BS_COMPONENT=Account,$
SEGNAME=CREDIT_CONTROL_AREA_CODE, SEGNAME_MVG=Credit Control Area Code, $
SEGNAME=SYNONYM, SEGNAME_MVG=Synonym, $
SEGNAME=BILL_TO_POSTAL_CODE, SEGNAME_MVG=Bill To Postal Code, $
SEGNAME=BILL_TO_FIRST_NAME, SEGNAME_MVG=Bill To First Name, $
SEGNAME=BILL_ADDRESS_FLAG, SEGNAME_MVG=Bill Address Flag, $
SEGNAME=DEDUP_KEY_UPDATE, SEGNAME_MVG=DeDup Key Update, $
SEGNAME=INDUSTRY, SEGNAME_MVG=Industry, $
SEGNAME=BACK_OFFICE_DISTRIBUTION_CHANNEL,
  SEGNAME_MVG=Back Office Distribution Channel, $
SEGNAME=TYPE_MVF, SEGNAME_MVG=Type MVF, $
SEGNAME=ROW_STATUS, SEGNAME_MVG=Row Status, $
SEGNAME=TERRITORY, SEGNAME_MVG=Territory, $
SEGNAME=AGREEMENT_END_DATE, SEGNAME_MVG=Agreement End Date, $
SEGNAME=SHIP_TO_POSTAL_CODE, SEGNAME_MVG=Ship To Postal Code, $
SEGNAME=SHIP_TO_FIRST_NAME, SEGNAME_MVG=Ship To First Name, $
SEGNAME=TERRITORY_0015, SEGNAME_MVG=Territory, $

The Master File root segment describes the Siebel Business Component. All scalar fields of the Business Component are described as fields in the root segment. All Multi Value fields (MVG) of the Business Component are described as descendant segments of the root. The name of the segment representing an MVG is derived from the Business Component Multi Value field name. All other Multi Value fields related to the same Multi Value Link are not shown in the Master File. The MVG segment contains references to the appropriate fields in the linked Business Component instead. All scalar fields of the MVG are described as fields in the MVG segment. All MVG fields of an MVG become descendant segments of the segment representing this parent MVG.

Master File field aliases represent real Siebel Business Component field names. Long names (between 67 and 75 characters) are stored in the Access File. Corresponding Master File fields must have no aliases. Similarly, long segment names are stored in the Access File as well.

A special virtual field VISIBILITY_MODE is added to the root segment to enable the client to set the visibility type for the Business Component. Available visibility modes are enumerated in the ACCEPT parameter for this field. Siebel Versions 6 and 7 support different sets of visibility modes, which is reflected in the ACCEPT list.

The visibility modes are:

Siebel v7: SalesRep, Manager, Personal, All, Organization, Contact, Group, Catalog, and SubOrganization.

Reference: Managing Synonyms

Once you have created a synonym, you can right-click the synonym name in the Adapter navigation pane of either the Web Console or the Data Management Console to access the available options.

For a list of options, see Synonym Management Options.

Syntax: How to Set Visibility Mode

IF VISIBILITY_MODE EQ 'All'

This syntax tells Siebel to look at the user ID referenced in the .prf file and according to that user's ID authorization privileges, Siebel returns a view of ALL for the requested output.

If no visibility mode is set in the report, it defaults to the personal visibility mode.

Example: Using Visibility Mode in a Report Request

The following request prints the NAME field where the VISIBILITY MODE is set to All.

TABLE FILE ACCOUNT
 PRINT NAME VISIBILITY_MODE
 WHERE ( VISIBILITY_MODE EQ 'All' )
 AND ( NAME LIKE '%WLI%' ) ;
END

The output is:

 NAME                                                VISIBILITY_MODE
 ----                                                ---------------
 Yelena WLI 81 0129 iway55                           All
 Yelena WLI 81 0129 iway55 JCA2                      All
 Yelena WLI 81 IDE                                   All

Example: Using Visibility Mode in a SQL Request

The follow selects NAME and VISIBILITY_MODE based on VISIBILITY MODE and wildcards in NAME.

SQL
 SELECT NAME, VISIBILITY_MODE FROM ACCOUNT
 WHERE VISIBILITY_MODE = 'All' AND NAME LIKE '%WLI%'
END