Module 3: Organizing Product Information Contents Overview Lesson: Introduction to Master Content Sources Lesson: Selecting a Master Content Source Design Lesson: Establishing a Data Migration Process 16 Review 25 Lab A: Organizing Product Information 27 Information in this document, including URL and other Internet Web site references, is subject to change without notice Unless otherwise noted, the example companies, organizations, products, domain names, e-mail addresses, logos, people, places, and events depicted herein are fictitious, and no association with any real company, organization, product, domain name, e-mail address, logo, person, place or event is intended or should be inferred Complying with all applicable copyright laws is the responsibility of the user Without limiting the rights under copyright, no part of this document may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), or for any purpose, without the express written permission of Microsoft Corporation Microsoft may have patents, patent applications, trademarks, copyrights, or other intellectual property rights covering subject matter in this document Except as expressly provided in any written license agreement from Microsoft, the furnishing of this document does not give you any license to these patents, trademarks, copyrights, or other intellectual property  2001 Microsoft Corporation All rights reserved Microsoft, Windows, BackOffice, BizTalk, FrontPage, Hotmail, PowerPoint, Visual Basic, Visual C++, Visual Studio, and Windows Media are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners Module 3: Organizing Product Information Instructor Notes Presentation: 90 minutes Lab: 45 minutes This module examines the importance of collecting and organizing product information into a single electronic format for the creation of online catalogs By using a single electronic format, also called a master content source, students can create customized catalogs for their business-to-business (B2B) trading partners with relative ease and speed After completing this module, students will be able to: ! Describe a master content source and explain its benefits ! Design a master content source ! Establish a data migration process Required materials To teach this module, you need Microsoft® PowerPoint® file 2420A_03.ppt Preparation tasks To prepare for this module: ! Read all of the materials for this module ! Complete the practices and lab iii iv Module 3: Organizing Product Information How to Teach This Module This section contains information that will help you teach this module Lesson: Introduction to Master Content Sources This lesson introduces the concept of a master content source as a single electronic repository for product information Explain to students the benefits of using a master content source, and how it enables the design and creation of custom electronic catalogs for trading partners Ensure that students understand that the primary purpose of a master content source is to create catalogs The following information is specific to individual pages in this lesson Guidelines for Including Information in a Master Content Source This page is not intended to be a comprehensive or definitive source on what information to include in a master content source The type of information that an organization includes in the master content source depends completely on the organization’s business needs Practice Spend about 10 minutes on each practice in the module The answers that are provided for each practice are suggested answers only Students may develop their own reasons for including or excluding attributes from their design Encourage class discussion, and feel free to change the practice parameters to increase discussion Lesson: Selecting a Master Content Source Design Students must choose a storage method for their master content source Discuss the capabilities of the examples provided and the considerations for choosing a storage method The following information is specific to individual pages in this lesson Types of Storage Methods This page merely presents examples of storage methods Do not spend time discussing which method to choose; save that discussion for the next page Considerations for Managing a Master Content Source Emphasize that because a master content source is a new entity, students must ensure that, as part of their design, they determine how it will be managed Lesson: Establishing a Data Migration Process When designing a plan to implement a master content source, students must define a data migration process Even in medium-size environments, the process can be very complicated, often involving aggregation, synchronization, and restructuring of data Avoid a lengthy discussion of specific migration methods unless it is appropriate The following information is specific to individual pages in this lesson Summary: Organizing Content This summary page highlights the main design elements of the module It is meant as a simple module review and a tool to help students prepare for the final module and lab, where they analyze a new scenario and create a B2B integration design plan Module 3: Organizing Product Information v Lab: Organizing Product Information In this design lab, students study how Adventure Works maintains product information and creates catalogs for trading partners Students answer design questions about the creation of a master content source and the migration of product data to it If students consider Microsoft Excel to be a requirement in the scenario, remind them that, if possible, the sales team wants to continue using only Excel because the team is already trained and familiar with the product However, because of the security requirements of the project, Excel may not be a viable option Students should include training on the new method of updating product information in their overall design Timing The design lab is scheduled for 45 minutes Divide students into pairs or small teams, and ask them to spend 20 minutes reading and discussing the scenario Then, have each pair or team present its answers to the class Discussion Although the lab scenario provides a clear path to certain design decisions, it contains enough ambiguity to encourage student discussion and debate Students may disagree with the answers that are provided in the Delivery Guide and the Student Materials compact disc Disagreement is acceptable if students can provide adequate business or technical justification To increase student involvement, ask a representative of each team to present the team’s answers to the class and then defend the design Customization Information This section identifies the lab setup requirements for a module and the configuration changes that occur on student computers during the labs This information is provided to assist you in replicating or customizing Microsoft Official Curriculum (MOC) courseware This module contains a single paper-based design lab There are no hands-on labs in this module, and as a result, there are no lab setup requirements or configuration changes that affect replication or customization Module 3: Organizing Product Information Overview ! Introduction to Master Content Sources ! Selecting a Master Content Source Design ! Establishing a Data Migration Process Product Product Supplier Information Supplier Information Master Master Content Content Source Source *****************************ILLEGAL FOR NON-TRAINER USE****************************** Introduction Your organization maintains content that describes your products Content includes product attributes that help describe a product, such as color, dimension, and price These attributes are often useful to a trading partner You use electronic catalogs to list products and their descriptions for trading partners Because trading partners often have different needs and require catalogs in different formats, it may be necessary to create a separate catalog for each trading partner To simplify the process of creating and maintaining multiple catalogs, you can collect your product information in a single location, called a master content source, and then use this single source as a staging area for catalog creation Before you create a master content source, collect the product information that you use in your catalogs from the various locations where the information resides Next, choose a storage method, such as a Microsoft® SQL Server™ 2000 database After you create your master content source, migrate your content to it Ensure that you establish management procedures and create update schedules for your master content source so that content remains current and accurate Objectives After completing this module, you will be able to: ! Describe a master content source and explain its benefits ! Design a master content source ! Establish a data migration process Module 3: Organizing Product Information Lesson: Introduction to Master Content Sources ! Where Is Information Currently Stored? ! What Is a Master Content Source? ! Reasons to Use a Master Content Source ! Guidelines for Including Information in a Master Content Source ! Practice: Choosing Information to Include in a Master Content Source *****************************ILLEGAL FOR NON-TRAINER USE****************************** Introduction Catalogs include products and their descriptions Because product information often exists in several locations, creating an electronic catalog can be difficult Also, not all trading partners require or want the same type of information You can use a master content source to create a custom catalog for each of your trading partners from the same central data source Lesson objectives After completing this lesson, you will be able to: ! Identify the locations of content ! Describe a master content source ! Explain the reasons to use a master content source ! Determine the types of information to include in a master content source Module 3: Organizing Product Information Where Is Information Currently Stored? ERP System SQL Server Database Flat File Personnel SQL Server Existing data may be located in: " Multiple locations " Other Sources Multiple formats " Paper Catalog Nonelectronic formats *****************************ILLEGAL FOR NON-TRAINER USE****************************** Introduction Before you collect your product information in a central source, identify the location of all relevant information Identify content locations For each product that you offer in a catalog, you must locate all of the information that describes it For example, your main office may update product description and sales information, which your regional office uses But your regional office may maintain specific production information that only your trading partners in that region require Even within a single geographic location, separate databases or business systems may store information about a product For example, a Material Resource Planning (MRP) system may contain ordering information, but an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system may contain the pricing data Identify content formats It is possible that you also store information in one or more electronic formats, such as: ! ! Flat files Examples include Microsoft Word XP documents, Microsoft Excel XP spreadsheets, and comma-separated value (CSV) files ! Identify nonelectronic formats Catalogs distributed on electronic media Examples include compact discs, digital video discs, and tapes Electronic databases Examples include Microsoft Access 2000 and SQL Server 2000 Your organization may also store information in nonelectronic or nontraditional formats, such as paper catalogs, or in more informal places, such as paper newsletters, electronic mail archives, or the memories of individuals Module 3: Organizing Product Information What Is a Master Content Source? Master Content Source price price SKU SKU M-990 M-990 23654 23654 1 2.5 2.5 9.0 9.0 139.99 139.99 M-990+ 23656 M-990+ 23656 1 2.5 2.5 9.0 9.0 139.99 139.99 M-998 M-998 23657 23657 1 2.75 2.75 8.5 8.5 159.99 159.99 N-800 N-800 23658 23658 2 1.8 1.8 6.0 6.0 169.99 169.99 N-880 N-880 23659 23659 1 1.8 1.8 6.0 6.0 169.99 169.99 N-880+ N-880+ 23660 23660 1 1.9 1.9 6.0 6.0 179.99 179.99 Existing Product Information Existing Product Information model model 139.99 139.99 warranty weight warranty weight height height N-900 N-900 23661 23661 2 2.0 2.0 5.5 5.5 A master content source provides: " A staging area for catalog information " A consistent source for information " Easy access to information *****************************ILLEGAL FOR NON-TRAINER USE****************************** Introduction Creating a master content source can solve problems that are associated with the maintenance of product information in many locations Definition A master content source is a single electronic source for product information You use a master content source as an electronic staging area to create catalogs and as a single source for centralizing product information Staging area for catalog information A master content source separates product information from catalog creation This separation helps ensure that product data is accurate in all of your catalogs For example, if multiple catalogs reference the same product, and you not use a master content source, you must update each catalog whenever a product attribute changes However, if you collect product information in a master content source, you update the information in a single location Consistent source for information Centralizing product information enables you to create catalogs from a consistent, complete, and reliable source Discrepancies can occur if you pull product information from its original location into a catalog, especially when you maintain the same information in multiple locations If you not synchronize information among all locations, you may inadvertently pull outdated information into a catalog Easy access to information By including all of the information that you require for your electronic catalogs in a master content source, you and others in your organization can gain easy access to the information and update it 16 Module 3: Organizing Product Information Lesson: Establishing a Data Migration Process ! What Are Premigration Issues? ! Methods for Migrating Product Information ! Common Errors in Migrated Content ! Postmigration Tasks ! Methods for Managing Data Updates ! Practice: Determining a Migration Process *****************************ILLEGAL FOR NON-TRAINER USE****************************** Introduction After you create a master content source, you populate the source with product data Before you perform the initial data migration, consider several premigration issues and determine how you will migrate the data After you complete the data migration, identify and reconcile any errors that occurred during the migration Lesson objectives After completing this lesson, you will be able to: ! Identify premigration issues ! Choose a migration method ! Identify common errors in migrated data ! Perform postmigration tasks to ensure that the master content source is free of errors ! Choose methods for managing data updates Module 3: Organizing Product Information 17 What Are Premigration Issues? Flat Files Flat Files ERP ERP Aggregated Aggregated Master Content Source price price model model SKU SKU warranty warranty weight weight Restructured Restructured Electronically Converted Electronically Converted Paper Catalog Paper Catalog Existing data may need to be: " Aggregated from multiple sources " Restructured for certain migration methods " Converted from a nonelectronic format *****************************ILLEGAL FOR NON-TRAINER USE****************************** Introduction It may be necessary to process existing product information before you transfer it to a master content source It also may be necessary to aggregate, or collect, data from multiple sources; restructure data; or convert data from a nonelectronic form Aggregate data before migration If your company collects product data in similar sources, you may find it easier to collect the data in one location before you migrate it to the master content source For example, if your company stores content in Excel spreadsheets, paper catalogs, and a database, you can aggregate all of the Excel data in a single spreadsheet to simplify migration Restructure data before migration The format of your data may prohibit successful migration For example, product data that is stored in a legacy system may be in a different form from that of the data in your master content source You can restructure data manually or by using scripts A script, for example, can delete spaces or hyphens in source data that could prevent successful migration Convert nonelectronic data to electronic format Your data may be in a nonelectronic format Many organizations store important product information only in paper catalogs You must convert this type of information to electronic form either by manually entering the data or by using an advanced scanner that converts type to electronic data 18 Module 3: Organizing Product Information Methods for Migrating Product Information Master Content Source Existing Product Information BizTalk Server BizTalk Server price price model model SKU SKU warranty weight warranty weight Script Script Content Migration Content Migration Manual Manual Considerations include: " The format of product information " The condition of product information " The format of the master content source " Whether the migration is continual or a one-time event *****************************ILLEGAL FOR NON-TRAINER USE****************************** Introduction You can choose one of several methods for migrating product information to your master content source The method that you choose depends on several factors, including the format of the product information, the condition of the information, the format of your master content source, and whether the migration is a one-time event or will be performed continually BizTalk Server Microsoft BizTalk™ Server is an application that you can use to perform simple and complex migrations BizTalk Messaging Services combines the features of Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformations (XSLT) with the flexibility of scripting in a graphical user interface BizTalk Mapper defines the correspondence between the records and fields in the source and the records and fields in the destination Using other BizTalk Server messaging objects, you can automate the migration of product information to your master content source BizTalk Server is the best choice if you plan to migrate product information from its existing location periodically BizTalk Server may not be the best choice for migrations that require high volumes of error handling Scripting Use scripts when the transformation involves many complex changes Scripting offers you flexibility in transforming different types of data; it also provides robust error handling Scripting is the best choice when the migration is a onetime event Manual migration Manually entering data in the master content source is a good choice if the migration is a single event and the data transformation would require extensive costs to restructure and clean the data You can contract with a third-party company that specializes in validating and restructuring data for migration Module 3: Organizing Product Information 19 Common Errors in Migrated Content Master Content Source price model model SKU SKU 139.99 139.99 M-990 M-990 23654 23654 1 2.5 139.99 139.99 M-998 M-998 23657 23657 1 2.75 Blue Blue 1.8 1 1.8 1 1.9 2 2.0 Inconsistent value 23658 159.99 N-800 Inconsistent value 23658 159.99 N-800 169.99 169.99 N-880 N-880 23659 23659 169.99 169.99 Missing value N-880+ Missing value N-880+ 179.99 179.99 N-900 N-900 23661 23661 warranty weight warranty weight height height Missing Missing field field Examine migrated content for: " Consistency " Completeness *****************************ILLEGAL FOR NON-TRAINER USE****************************** Introduction After you complete the migration process, check the data for errors Common errors include inconsistent values and missing values and fields You can also take steps to correct errors Inconsistent values Inconsistent values can occur if the data that you migrate is formatted incorrectly, or if the data in the field is invalid For example, if you migrate data from a spreadsheet that was not properly formatted, the error in the spreadsheet may migrate to the master content source Also, the format of the master content source may be incompatible with the format of the existing legacy source For example, suppose that you migrate an attribute for a printer that has a value of 2.716 kilograms If the master content source is formatted to accommodate only size values without decimals, the value in the master content source becomes kilograms, which is inaccurate Missing values and fields Missing values and fields can occur if data types not migrate successfully A missing entry in the original source or a migration error can cause missing values or fields in the master content source For example, suppose that you migrate data from a single field to three fields in the master content source You may discover that the data is transformed in only two of the three destination fields Preventing errors To ensure that you not lose data during migration, include extra, undetermined data fields in your master content source to collect data that does not migrate to a proper location You can then review the unknown data after migration and determine where it belongs in the database Use data linkage, a standard practice for database migration, to document the original location of the data 20 Module 3: Organizing Product Information Postmigration Tasks Master Content Source price price model model SKU SKU 139.99 139.99 M-990 M-990 23654 23654 warranty weight warranty weight 1 2.5 2.5 height height 9 139.99 139.99 M-990+ M-990+ 23656 23656 1 2.5 2.5 9 139.99 139.99 M-998 M-998 23657 23657 1 2.75 2.75 159.99 159.99 N-800 N-800 23658 23658 2 1.8 1.8 169.99 169.99 N-880 N-880 23659 23659 1 1.8 1.8 6 169.99 169.99 N-880+ N-880+ 23660 23660 1 1.9 1.9 6 179.99 179.99 N-900 N-900 23661 23661 2 2.0 2.0 5.5 5.5 8.5 8.5 Reconcile Reconcile To complete migration: " " Reconcile errors manually or by using scripts Normalize the database product codes product codes prod_id prod_id name name SKU SKU prod_desc prod_desc desc_id desc_id prod_id prod_id l_desc l_desc s_desc s_desc v_desc v_desc prod_line prod_line SKU SKU prod_id prod_id l_desc l_desc s_desc s_desc Normalize *****************************ILLEGAL FOR NON-TRAINER USE****************************** Introduction You must correct errors that you identify after migration Errors that you leave in a master content source can contaminate catalogs that you create from the master content source To finalize migration, reconcile errors either manually or by using scripts, and then normalize the database Reconcile errors You reconcile errors by adding missing product information or by correcting incorrect content To ensure that catalogs are free of errors, audit the data to identify data errors If you identify an error, determine whether the error is valid, and if so, how to correct it For example, if an error originates from the source data, you can correct the error in the source data and then migrate the content again Normalize the database The logical design of the master content source database, including the tables and the relationships between them, is the core of an optimized relational database When you normalize a logical database design, you use formal methods to separate the data into multiple, related tables A normalized database has a greater number of narrow tables with fewer columns, whereas a denormalized database has several wide tables with more columns Normalization often improves query performance It is recommended that you normalize your database to the third normal form Note For more information about database normalization, see Course 2092A, Designing and Populating a Data Warehouse with Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Module 3: Organizing Product Information 21 Methods for Managing Data Updates Existing Systems Master Content Source price price weight weight M-990 M-990 23654 23654 1 2.5 2.5 139.99 139.99 M-990+ M-990+ 23656 23656 1 2.5 2.5 139.99 139.99 M-998 M-998 23657 23657 1 2.75 2.75 159.99 159.99 N-800 N-800 23658 23658 2 1.8 1.8 169.99 169.99 N-880 N-880 23659 23659 1 1.8 1.8 169.99 169.99 N-880+ N-880+ 23660 23660 1 1.9 1.9 179.99 179.99 Aggregating Content warranty warranty 139.99 139.99 model model SKU SKU N-900 N-900 23661 23661 2 2.0 2.0 To update data: " " Aggregate content from existing systems to the master content source Change the master content source directly *****************************ILLEGAL FOR NON-TRAINER USE****************************** Introduction Some product information, such as color, availability, and price, may undergo frequent changes You may discontinue some products entirely You must ensure that changes or deletions of product information are made in the master content source You can either synchronize existing storage locations with the master content source or make changes directly in the master content source Aggregate content from existing sources Typically, the content in your master content source originated in other locations and formats in your company, such as ERP and MRP databases Although you can use the master content source to create catalogs more easily, you may decide to maintain product information in those existing, or legacy, systems, especially if you have invested heavily in the systems and use them for tasks other than catalog creation If you choose to aggregate content from existing sources, the changes that you make to the legacy systems will then propagate to your master content source according to the schedule that you establish Change master content source directly You can also choose to make changes directly to the master content source This choice is better if you not use any legacy systems for content storage, or if you decide to stop storing content in legacy systems 22 Module 3: Organizing Product Information Frequency of updates How often you update your master content source depends on the amount of data that changes, how often it changes, and how often you can gain access to the data You can use two methods to send updated information from one location to another: ! Batch Collects and processes changes in periodic batches, or sets of data, at a specified time For example, all data updates run as a batch at the end of the day You use batch updates when many systems or people use the data You reserve specific times for updating the data, such as hourly or nightly ! Realtime Collects and processes changes in smaller, more frequent batch updates Updates may appear instantaneously For example, an inventory management application registers a change and instantly updates data in the master content source Processing data in realtime reduces the chance of data inconsistency between sources However, during an update, access to the master content source is prohibited Constant updates may force users to wait for access to the master content source Module 3: Organizing Product Information 23 Practice: Determining a Migration Process Discussion Discussion Read the scenario Read the scenario Determine a migration Determine a migration process process Discuss your decisions Discuss your decisions *****************************ILLEGAL FOR NON-TRAINER USE****************************** Introduction This practice presents a company that is choosing a migration process Read the scenario, answer the questions, and then briefly discuss your answers with your classmates Scenario An aircraft parts supplier has decided to aggregate all company product data in a single master content source Currently, the company stores product data in paper documents and in its proprietary ERP system The data in the ERP system totals 45 megabytes (MB) in size, but a virus has corrupted some of the ERP system data The company has decided to discontinue maintaining product data in the ERP system after the migration It has hired a third party to reformat the paper information in electronic format Questions What premigration issues must the company resolve? What issues exist with using the electronic data? The company must obtain the electronically formatted paper content and migrate it to the master content source Because the virus caused errors, it may be necessary to restructure the electronic data from the ERP system What migration method would you recommend? In this case, the most appropriate migration method is a script because the migration is a one-time event, and complex error handling may be required due to the condition of the product information 24 Module 3: Organizing Product Information Summary: Organizing Content Project Design Project Design # # # # # # # # Master content source Information to include Storage method Content change management Premigration tasks Migration methods Postmigration tasks Database updates *****************************ILLEGAL FOR NON-TRAINER USE****************************** Introduction This summary lists the key project design elements to consider when you organize content for catalog creation Design elements Criteria to consider Master content source Whether to use Information to include in the master content source Usefulness of the information to trading partners and to your organization Storage method for the master content source Size of the catalog and the complexity of the products Content change management Authorization, maintenance, and security Premigration tasks Possible aggregation and restructuring of data; conversion of information to electronic format Methods for migrating product information Size and format of data, format of master content source, and condition of data Postmigration tasks Rationalization and normalization of the database Database updates Whether to aggregate information from existing systems or make changes directly to the master content source Module 3: Organizing Product Information 25 Review ! Introduction to Master Content Sources ! Selecting a Master Content Source Design ! Establishing a Data Migration Process *****************************ILLEGAL FOR NON-TRAINER USE****************************** When considering what information to include in a master content source, how you determine what information to include? Your first priority is to include the product information that benefits, or is required by, your trading partners After you include that information, you can add other information that you may find useful to your organization, such as internal part numbers for reference However, not add information that is not relevant to catalog creation Your company has decided to maintain basic product information in its master content source It also wants to include sensitive product information, such as the cost of products and sales commission percentages for sales staff Customer service personnel require access only to basic product information Business managers require access to sales staff commissions and basic product information Only authorized personnel are allowed to make changes to the product information What storage method would you suggest that your company use, and why? SQL Server You can use it to restrict who can make changes to the product information and who can gain access to certain information 26 Module 3: Organizing Product Information If your company maintains product information in several sources, with some duplication of information, what premigration and postmigration issues must you perform or consider performing? Before you can migrate data, you must aggregate the data from multiple sources In addition, it may be necessary to restructure some data due to errors or inconsistencies and also convert data from paper format to electronic format After migration, it is recommended that you rationalize and normalize the master content source and resolve any discrepancies between the paper and electronic sources Module 3: Organizing Product Information 27 Lab A: Organizing Product Information Exercise 1: Designing a Master Content Source Strategy *****************************ILLEGAL FOR NON-TRAINER USE****************************** Objectives After completing this lab, you will be able to: ! Determine attributes to include in a master content source ! Choose a storage method ! Determine a migration strategy Prerequisites Before working on this lab, you must have knowledge about databases Introduction In this design exercise, you will examine the product information for Adventure Works, an online supplier, and then develop recommendations for the migration of product information to a master content source Estimated time to complete this lab: 45 minutes 28 Module 3: Organizing Product Information Exercise Designing a Master Content Source Strategy In this exercise, Kim Yoshida, the chief information officer (CIO) of Adventure Works, has hired you as a consultant to develop a master content source strategy for the creation of electronic catalogs as part of the company’s implementation of business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce The following scenario describes the company’s current process for organizing and collecting product data for its paper catalogs Read the scenario and then work with your assigned teammates to answer the following design questions Scenario The sales team at Adventure Works currently maintains product information in several Excel spreadsheets John Kelly, the sales manager for Adventure Works, supervises two sales offices, one in Denver, Colorado, and the other in Salt Lake City, Utah Each product line is maintained in a separate Excel spreadsheet by one of these offices For example, the Denver sales office maintains all handlebars in one Excel spreadsheet Over the years, individuals in different locations have maintained the various Excel spreadsheets As a result, there is no standard for attributes or the values of those attributes For example, the Excel spreadsheet for frames includes attributes for gender, with the values Male or Female, whereas the gender attribute in the Excel spreadsheet for seats is populated with the values Men’s and Women’s Similarly, the spreadsheets in the Denver office contain information about the largest buyers of certain high-volume products, but the spreadsheets that the Salk Lake City office maintains not Some spreadsheets not contain all of the attributes that are shown in a catalog If a spreadsheet contains incomplete information, a member of the sales team enters the missing information directly in the paper catalog For example, the Excel spreadsheets not include the original manufacturer’s product codes, only Adventure Works’s product codes The sales team added these codes when it created the paper catalogs to assist buyers who were looking for a specific part The sales team that maintains the Excel spreadsheets is accustomed to using Excel and would like to continue using Excel, if possible, to maintain product information in the master content source Adventure Works issues paper catalogs to its trading partners twice a year It sends one catalog to retailers exclusively; this catalog only includes assembled mountain bikes It sends the other catalog to bicycle manufacturers; this catalog contains all of Adventure Works’s products, including assembled bicycles and bicycle parts Because all central Information Technology (IT) functions are headquartered in Denver, the IT team in Denver will be responsible for maintaining the master content source However, the sales offices in Denver and Salt Lake City will update product information in the master content source over the corporate network The CIO would like to ensure that only managers can view certain sensitive attributes, such as product prices and sales commissions The deputy sales manager at either location must approve all proposed changes to product information Module 3: Organizing Product Information Design Questions 29 What storage method would you recommend for a master content source, and why? SQL Server SQL Server enables multiple users to update the database simultaneously, which is important because several people in the organization will maintain the database Also, SQL Server can provide the necessary security at the attribute level, which the CIO requires What actions must the IT team perform before it migrates product information to a master content source? The IT team must three things First, it must standardize the attributes and values in the Excel spreadsheets Second, it must make allowances for attributes that occur in some but not all spreadsheets And third, it must ensure that unwanted data is not lost during the migration Some spreadsheets contain data that is unrelated to catalog creation, such as high-volume buyer information Adventure Works may want to omit such information in the master content source What data migration method will you recommend, and why? Either create a script or use BizTalk Messaging Services A script enables the IT team to migrate existing data to the master content source easily and also take advantage of robust error handling The IT team can also use BizTalk Messaging Services, but only if data inconsistencies are corrected first After the IT team uses your migration method to migrate data from the Excel spreadsheets to the master content source, what postmigration tasks must the team perform? After migration, the IT team must correct errors by standardizing existing information and adding missing information For example, it must reconcile the differences between the attribute values for Men’s and Women’s and Male and Female The team also must add information, such as the original manufacturer product codes After the team corrects all errors, it should normalize the database to the third normal form How will the company’s process for managing content change after the IT team migrates product information to a master content source? The design must include a new process for the sales team to authorize and manage changes to product information in a SQL Server database Your design must also include recommendations to create a user interface for the SQL Server database, and training for the sales team so that it can update product information 30 Module 3: Organizing Product Information If the CIO tells you that she wants Adventure Works to be able to continue to enter and change product information in Excel spreadsheets, but also aggregate product information to a master content source for catalog creation, how would you modify your design recommendation? BizTalk Messaging Services would better fit the requirements of a continual data migration process By creating an application integration component using BizTalk Messaging Services, the IT team can create an automated infrastructure to update the master content source If changes to the Excel spreadsheets are not migrated in a timely manner to the master content source, latency problems with the data may occur The IT team must determine a migration schedule so that the master content source receives current information The design must also provide for the security of the Excel spreadsheets For example, the IT team can secure the data by using Excel spreadsheet passwords or by using NTFS file system permissions and Encrypting File System (EFS) in Microsoft Windows® 2000 ... outdated information 6 Module 3: Organizing Product Information Guidelines for Including Information in a Master Content Source Include information that Include information that Examples Examples Product. .. can make changes to the product information and who can gain access to certain information 26 Module 3: Organizing Product Information If your company maintains product information in several... converts type to electronic data 18 Module 3: Organizing Product Information Methods for Migrating Product Information Master Content Source Existing Product Information BizTalk Server BizTalk