MDM Match and Merge Rules 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In Informatica MDM, what is the purpose of a 'fuzzy match' key?
- To perform exact string comparisons between records
- To generate phonetic or approximate keys that allow near-duplicate detection (Correct answer)
- To encrypt sensitive data before matching
- To create a unique primary key for each base object record
Correct answer: To generate phonetic or approximate keys that allow near-duplicate detection
Fuzzy match keys generate phonetic or approximate representations of data values, enabling MDM to identify near-duplicate records that differ slightly in spelling or format.
Question 2: Which Informatica MDM component is responsible for executing the match process against a set of records?
- Hub Server
- Match Server (cmxmatch) (Correct answer)
- Cleanse Server
- SIF Server
Correct answer: Match Server (cmxmatch)
The Match Server (cmxmatch) is a dedicated Informatica MDM component that executes match column analysis and scoring against candidate record sets.
Question 3: What does the 'Consolidation Indicator' (CONSOLIDATION_IND) on a base object record signify?
- Whether the record was loaded via a batch or real-time process
- The merge state of the record — for example, 'R' for merged, 'B' for consolidated (Correct answer)
- The trust level assigned to the source system
- The number of cross-references linked to the record
Correct answer: The merge state of the record — for example, 'R' for merged, 'B' for consolidated
CONSOLIDATION_IND tracks the merge lifecycle state of a record; values such as 'R' (merged/removed) and 'B' (best-of-breed consolidated) indicate where the record stands in the merge workflow.
Question 4: In an Informatica MDM match rule set, what is the role of a 'primary match column'?
- It overrides all other match columns and alone determines the match score
- It is the first column evaluated; records must match on it before additional columns are assessed (Correct answer)
- It stores the final merged value for that attribute
- It designates the column used exclusively for exact-match comparisons
Correct answer: It is the first column evaluated; records must match on it before additional columns are assessed
A primary match column acts as an initial filter; records that do not satisfy the primary column condition are excluded from further comparison, improving match performance.
Question 5: When configuring a match rule in Informatica MDM Hub Console, what does the 'Match Column Search Level' property control?
- The maximum number of records returned by a match search
- How broadly or narrowly MDM searches for candidate records using match keys (Correct answer)
- The order in which match rules are evaluated within a rule set
- The minimum number of matching columns required to confirm a match
Correct answer: How broadly or narrowly MDM searches for candidate records using match keys
The Match Column Search Level determines the breadth of candidate retrieval — a broader level returns more candidates for comparison, while a narrower level limits the search for efficiency.
Question 6: What happens when two records exceed the 'Auto-Merge Threshold' in Informatica MDM?
- They are flagged for manual review in the Merge Manager
- They are automatically merged without human intervention (Correct answer)
- They are deleted from the base object
- They are sent back to the source system for correction
Correct answer: They are automatically merged without human intervention
Records whose match score exceeds the Auto-Merge Threshold are merged automatically by the system, bypassing manual review queues.
Question 7: In Informatica MDM, which merge style produces a single 'golden record' by applying cell-level trust rules across all contributing source records?
- Source System Override merge
- Trust-based (best-of-breed) merge (Correct answer)
- Last-write-wins merge
- Manual merge
Correct answer: Trust-based (best-of-breed) merge
Trust-based (best-of-breed) merge evaluates trust scores for each cell across all cross-references and selects the highest-trust value for each attribute in the golden record.
MDM Match and Merge Rules 2
In Informatica MDM, what is the purpose of a 'fuzzy match' key?