Configuration Guide

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NULL Matching

Use NULL matching to specify how the match process handles null values that match other null values.

Null matching and segment matching are mutually exclusive.

NULL matching applies to exact-match columns.

By default, null matching is disabled and the MDM Hub treats nulls as unequal values when it searches for matches. When null matching is disabled, a null value does not match any value.

To enable null matching, you can select one of the following null matching options for the match columns:

NULL Matches NULL

NULL Matches Non-NULL

NULL Matches NULL

You can enable the

NULL Matches NULL

option to specify that the match process considers two null values as matches.

Based on the null matching scenario, one of the following value pairs is considered a match:

Both cell values are null.

Both cell values are identical.

NULL Matches Non-NULL

You can enable the

NULL Matches Non-NULL

option to specify that the match process considers null values as matches of any value that is not null.

Based on the null matching scenario, any of the following value pairs is considered a match:

One cell value is null and the other cell value is not null.

Both cell values are identical.

When the NULL Matches Non-NULL option is enabled, Build Match Groups allows only a single null to non-null match into any group, which reduces the possibility of unwanted transitive matches. To ensure identical values are not dropped, create two exact match rules that are identical. In one exact match rule, enable the NULL Matches Non-NULL option. In the other exact match rule, disable the NULL Matches Non-NULL option. In the match rule execution sequence, ensure that the exact match rule with the NULL Matches Non-NULL option disabled precedes the exact match rule with the NULL Matches Non-NULL option enabled.

Null Matches Null When One Cell Value is Non-Null Example

Your organization has the CUSTOMER base object for which you perform a merge job. You enable the option to match null values with other null values for the exact match rule. The CUSTOMER base object contains three records for John Smith, two of which have null values for the phone extension.

The base object records for John Smith show that the phone extension for two of the three records is null.

Rowid_Object	Person Name	Phone	Extension
1	John Smith	6053128215	-
2	John Smith	6053128215	-
3	John Smith	6053128215	236

After a match and merge job, the base object shows that the records with the null values merge.

Rowid_Object	Person Name	Phone	Extension
1	John Smith	6053128215	-
3	John Smith	6053128215	236

After a match and merge job, the cross-reference table shows that the Rowid_Object of one of the records with the null value and the record with the non-null value survives.

Rowid_XREF	Rowid_Object	Person Name	Phone	Extension
1	1	John Smith	6053128215	-
2	1	John Smith	6053128215	-
3	3	John Smith	6053128215	236

In the scenario, because a null value matches another null value, you might be unsure if the two records are a match. To ensure that the records with the null values are a match, you can configure the MDM Hub to flag them for a manual merge.

Null Matches Non-Null When One Cell Value is Null Example

Your organization has the CUSTOMER base object for which you perform a merge job. You enable the option to match null values with non-null values for the exact match rule. The CUSTOMER base object contains records for John Smith and one of the records has a null value for the phone extension.

The base object records for John Smith show that the phone extension is either 236 or null.

Rowid_Object	Person Name	Phone	Extension
1	John Smith	6053128215	236
2	John Smith	6053128215	-

After a match and merge job, the base object shows that the record with the null value merges into the record with the non-null value.

Rowid_Object	Person Name	Phone	Extension
1	John Smith	6053128215	236

After a match and merge job, the cross-reference table shows that the Rowid_Object of the record into which the record with the null value merges survives.

Rowid_XREF	Rowid_Object	Person Name	Phone	Extension
1	1	John Smith	6053128215	236
2	1	John Smith	6053128215	-

In the scenario, because a null value matches another null value, you might be unsure if the two records are a match. To ensure that the records with null and non-null values are a match, you can configure the MDM Hub to flag them for a manual merge.

Null Matches Non-Null When Both Cell Values are Identical Example

Your organization has the CUSTOMER base object for which you perform the match and merge job. You enable the option to match null values with non-null values for the exact match rule. The CUSTOMER base object contains records for John Smith. Both the records have identical values for the phone extension.

The base object records for John Smith show that the phone extension is 236.

Rowid_Object	Person Name	Phone	Extension
1	John Smith	6053128215	236
2	John Smith	6053128215	236

After a match and merge job, the base object shows one record.

Rowid_Object	Person Name	Phone	Extension
1	John Smith	6053128215	236

After a match and merge job, the record with Rowid_Object 2 that contains a value identical to the record with Rowid_Object 1 merges into the record with Rowid_Object 1.

After a match and merge job, the cross-reference table shows that the Rowid_Object of the record into which the record with the identical value merges survives.

Rowid_XREF	Rowid_Object	Person Name	Phone	Extension
1	1	John Smith	6053128215	236
2	1	John Smith	6053128215	236

The records with the identical value that merges into the another record with an identical value has the Rowid_Object of the record into which it merges.

Null Matches Non-Null When One Cell Value is Null and Another is Identical Example

Your organization has the CUSTOMER base object for which you perform the match and merge job. You enable the option to match null values with non-null values for the exact match rule. The CUSTOMER base object contains records for John Smith. One of the records has a null value for the phone extension while the other record has an identical value.

The base object records for John Smith show that the phone extension is either 236 or null.

Rowid_Object	Person Name	Phone	Extension
1	John Smith	6053128215	236
2	John Smith	6053128215	-
3	John Smith	6053128215	236

After a match and merge job, the base object shows two records.

Rowid_Object	Person Name	Phone	Extension
1	John Smith	6053128215	236
3	John Smith	6053128215	236

After a match and merge job, the record with Rowid_Object 2 merges into the record with Rowid_Object 1 because Build Match Groups allows only a single null to non-null match into any group. The record with Rowid_Object 3 that contains a value identical to the value in the record with Rowid_Object 1 does not merge.

After a match and merge job, the cross-reference table shows that the Rowid_Object of the record into which the record with the null value merges survives.

Rowid_XREF	Rowid_Object	Person Name	Phone	Extension
1	1	John Smith	6053128215	236
2	1	John Smith	6053128215	-
3	3	John Smith	6053128215	236

The record with the null value that merges into a record with a non-null value has the Rowid_Object of the record it merges into. The Rowid_Object value of the record that does not merge remains the same.

In the scenario, because a null value matches another non-null value, you might be unsure if the two records are a match. To ensure that the records with null and non-null values are a match, you can configure the MDM Hub to flag them for a manual merge.

Also, to ensure that the identical records with Rowid_Object 1 and Rowid_Object 3 are matches, create two exact match rules that are identical. In one exact match rule, enable the NULL Matches Non-NULL option. In the other exact match rule, disable the NULL Matches Non-NULL option. In the match rule execution sequence, ensure that the exact match rule with the NULL Matches Non-NULL option disabled precedes the exact match rule with the NULL Matches Non-NULL option enabled.

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Table of Contents

Configuration Guide

Configuration Guide

NULL Matching

NULL Matching

NULL Matches NULL

NULL Matches Non-NULL

Null Matches Null When One Cell Value is Non-Null Example

Null Matches Non-Null When One Cell Value is Null Example

Null Matches Non-Null When Both Cell Values are Identical Example

Null Matches Non-Null When One Cell Value is Null and Another is Identical Example