Duplication of Dim member with properties

Questions & Answers
1

Hello!

I found, that if you add properties to your dimension in one import, and leave the other import without propeties (only same dimension), then this dimension member gets duplicated. This leads to duplications in reports with some wierd behaviour.

Question is, wether this is an inteded behavior or not?
Because if it is, then this means, that you absolutely have to add properties in every import you have on that dimension. Coupled with my other problem, where imports with properties slow down by a factor 100, this becomes a real pain.

Import1:
Project Name - Dimension, string
Count - Measure, integer
Values:
(prj1, 1)
(prj2, 1)

Import2:
Project Name - Dimension, string
Project Description - Property of Project Name, string
Count - measure, integer
Values:
(prj1, prj1desc, 1)
(prj2, prj2desc, 1)

Result in eazyBI DB:
(prj1, NULL, 1)
(prj2, NULL, 1)
(prj1, prj1desc, 1)
(prj2, prj2desc, 1)

Using Private eazyBI (version 4.7.2). Custom SQL import from MSSQL.

2

Hello!

There is no need to add all properties to each SQL import definition. During data import, eazyBI will query existing dimension data to find whether there is an existing member and update it with new property information. The data will be queried by the provided ID or Key or Name column. If in source column mapping screen no one of those columns is provided in advanced options, then data will be queried by a value of a column without property name.
In your mentioned example in the database should be created two tables:

  • d_project_name - Project Name dimension data
  • c_projects - measure table (table name depends on given cube name).

In given example tables should contain the following data:

  • d_project_name - id (primary key, auto increment unless in import options ID column provided), name, description:
    (1, prj1, prj1desc)
    (2, prj2, prj2desc)
  • c_projects - project_name_id, count
    (1, 1)
    (2, 1)
    (1, 1)
    (2, 1)

If in your environment the data isn’t stored as I described, please export SQL import definitions (https://docs.eazybi.com/eazybi/data-import/import-from-sql#ImportfromSQL-Exportdefinition), collect eazyBI log files from EAZYBI_HOME/log directory and send both to our support email support@eazybi.com.

Best regards,
Janis

3

I also expected, that using Id/Key column should solve the problem, but it didn’t. I even created a separate account to isolate this problem. It has exactly two imports associated with my data, where I added uppercased string Ids of my projects (problem dimension), which is marked as Key column to ensure no case sensitive problems (which is another issue, btw, but it’s for another story).

I can absolutely definetley say, that d_project_name contained separate entries for the same project - one with nulled properties and one with filled properties. I didn’t check on what went on in c_projects, but in actual end-user reports there was duplication of dim members with same measure values.
Furthermore, after editing imports and adding all properties to all of them the problem in DB disappeared.

Right know I worked around this problem by isolating required reports in a separate account and adding all properties in each import. Sadly, I don’t have enough time now to delve deeper in this matter, but I expect to bump into it soon in my work. At that point I’ll collect logs and send them, as you suggested.

Thank you!