It is often the case that an organization has multiple tables with the same structure, that is column names and data types, but with different names, in different databases or schemas or on different servers.

Now a single synonym can be used to describe a collection of tables with the same structure because the TABLENAME and CONNECTION parameters in the access file can be specified as a variable.

Before you create and run the data flows discussed in this section, in addition to the source data, you must also create the multiple source tables. See How to Create Sample Procedures and Data for Iteration.

This will create five identically structured tables named dmordbos, dmorddal, dmordla, dmordorl, and dmordstl.

This example has instructions for creating a synonym that can be used to read or write multiple tables. You will create two variables, TTABLE and TCON, that will be used for the table name and connection name.

Refer to the sample synonym, dmortmpl, for the complete example that also has titles and descriptions for each of the columns.

1. In the DMC, right-click an application directory in the navigation pane, select New, and then click Synonym.

   The Select adapter to configure panel opens.

2. Open the folder for the adapter where you created the sample procedures and select the first connection. Click OK.

   The Select Synonym Candidates Step 1 of 2 panel opens.

3. Click Next.

   The Create Synonym Step 2 of 2 panel opens.

4. Select the check box to the right of dmordbos, double-click the table name, and change it to dmortmplx, as shown in the following image.

   

   This will create a synonym that you will use as a template to access any of the six tables.

5. Click Create Synonym.
6. Click the Open First Synonym button.

   The dmortmplx synonym opens.

7. If there is Business View window, click the small x to close it.
8. Right-click the Variables folder, select Insert and Variable. This adds a variable called VARIABLE1.
9. Double-click the name and change it to TTABLE. This creates a global variable in the synonym.
10. For DEFAULT, enter the value dmordbos.
11. Right-click the Variables folder, select Insert and Variable.
12. Double-click the name and change it to TCON. For the DEFAULT, enter the name of your first database connection, which by the server default would be CON01.
13. Click in the left pane and the names of the two variables you created are shown.

    

14. Click the segment name DMORTMPLX. For TABLENAME, enter the value &&TTABLE and for CONNECTION, enter the value &&TCON.

    For DEFAULT, enter the name of your connection, which by default is CON01.

    

    The synonym is now set up for use with multiple tables.

15. Click Save from the Quick Access Toolbar to save the synonym.

This example has instructions for viewing the parameter table used in the other examples here. The parameter table used is a delimited flat file, but any data source that can be described by a synonym could be used. The table has three columns: a connection name, a table name, and a plant name.

The parameter table is automatically created when you run Create Sample Procedures and Data for the iterator examples. The connection name is the name of the first connection on your server for the selected database. In this example, they are all the same, but different connection names could also be used.

1. In the DMC, expand the ibisamp directory in the navigation pane.
2. Right-click the synonym dmplnts and click Sample Data.

   Tip: If you do not see synonyms when you expand the ibisamp directory, select Synonyms from the Filter group on the Home tab.

   The Sample Data Report opens and should look like the following image.

   

This example has instructions for creating a data flow that uses a synonym as a source that can be used to read multiple identically formatted tables.

Refer to the sample flow dmorsum, for the complete example.

1. In the DMC, right-click an application directory in the navigation pane, select New, and then click Flow. A new flow opens.
2. Drag a data source object into the data flow. If you created the synonym, dmortmplx, you can use it. Otherwise, from the ibisamp application directory, drag the synonym dmortmpl.
3. Right-click the SQL object and click Column Selection.

   The Column Selection window opens.

4. Select each column in the Available Columns list, and click the arrow to move them into the Selected Columns list. Click OK.

   Tip: To select all the columns, right-click one of them and click Select All.

5. Drag the target object dmorsum from the ibisamp directory into the workspace, to the right of the SQL object.
6. Right-click the dmorsum target object and click Target Transformations.

   The Transformations window opens.

7. Click the Automap button.
8. Under target columns, double-click PLANT to add it to the list of expressions below.
9. For the PLANT expression, enter '&LPLANT' with quotes as shown. Click OK.
10. Click the Process Flow tab.
11. Right-click the arrow between Start and Data flow and click Delete.
12. On the Flow tab, in the Insert group, click Set Variables and drag it onto the workflow between the Start and Data Flow icons. Then, right-click the Start icon and drag it to Set Variables and release it. Finally, right-click Set Variables and drag the arrow to Data Flow and release.

    The flow will look like the following image.

    

13. Right-click Set Variables and click Properties. In the Value area for List, click the ellipsis button.

    The Global Parameter Editor window opens.

14. Click the Add Parameter button.

    The Global Variables calculator opens.

15. Type over the default name VAR1 with TCON. In the expression entry area, type &LCON and then click OK.
16. Repeat to set the global variable, TTABLE to value &LTABLE. When you are done, the Global Parameter Editor window should look like the following image.

    

    Click OK.

17. Click Save from the Quick Access Toolbar to save the flow. Enter dmorsumx as the flow name.

This example has instructions for creating a process flow that runs a data flow repeatedly using a source a collection of identically formatted tables.

Refer to the sample flow dmorsump for the complete example.

1. In the DMC, right-click an application directory in the navigation pane, select New, and then click Flow.

   A new flow opens.

2. Click the Process Flow tab.
3. From the directory where you saved dmorsumx, drag the flow into the workflow area.
4. Right-click the Start icon, drag the arrow to dmorsumx and release.
5. Right-click dmorsumx and click Properties.
6. Check the check box labeled Get Parameters using Synonym.
7. Click the ellipsis button in the File Name entry area. In the ibisamp directory, select dmplnts.

   The properties for the flow should look like the following image.

   

8. Click Save on the Quick Access Toolbar to save the flow. Enter dmorsumpx as the flow name.
9. To create the target table, in the ibisamp directory located in the navigation pane, right-click the table named dmorsum, select Data Management, and then click Recreate DBMS table.
10. On the Flow tab, in the Run group, click Run and select Submit.

    When the flow completes, you should see a message in the console log:

    DM: (ICM18763) Request ibisamp/dmorsumpx complete

When a process flow calls a data flow using the iterator, multiple logs are generated. This example shows how to view the logs.

1. With the dmorsumpx process flow open, on the Flow tab, in the Reports group, click View Last Log.

   The process flow log opens.

2. Click the blue line with the Job ID.

   The iterator log opens. Note that the Parameters line show the values of each parameter for each run.

   

3. Click one of the blue lines with Job IDs. The log for an individual run of the data flow opens.