Creating a ODS key with 32 characteristics in BW 3.5

Question

All,
We have to create a ODS key with 32 characteristics in BW 3.5. We are using an after image type delta capable extrator 0FI_GL_10. We have to do delta loads every 2 hours.
As you all know ODS allows only 16 key fields. In order to allow 32 keys, I have created an artificial key with 17 fields concatinating into one in the transfer rules.
The problem is still the data is not coming correctly (some records are still getting overwritten even with then new key) with the delta init load and the interesting thing is that the full load into the ODS is getting the data right.
In other words, a delta init load is getting 95680 records and where as full load is getting 99680 records.
Have anybody come accross such situation and what would be helpful to solve this issue?
Thanks,
- Shashi
null

Answer 1

I assume your CHAR 60 is enough to hold all the fields that you are concatenating.
Other problem with concatenate is that it strips the leading and trailing blanks.
So let us say you have two fields F1 (char 5) and F2 (char 3)
F1_________F2
A1_________03
A10________3
A12________22
Now, follow what happens with concatenate F1 and F2. Row 1 will result in value 'A103', row 2 will also result in 'A103' and row 3 would be 'A1222'.
So, even though combination of F1 and F2 was unique in these three rows, after concatenate we get only two unique values.
This is one possible explanation. The oher ofcourse is if total length of 17 fields is more than the 60bytes you have in key field.
To avoid this move your values with exact length (in the example above it will then be like)
Key(5) = F1.
Key+5(3) = F2.