Implementing Columnar Tables

Use this procedure to implement columnar tables. The procedure consists of two main parts. The first part, defining and running a data replication set for the business class for the columnar table, is always required. The second part, editing the LPL for the list that you want to have a columnar view in, is needed if the application does not already define the list with that.

The first time a replication set is created it will create a new columnar table named in one of the following formats:

  • <BusClass>_C - for tables created from current business class data
  • <BusClass>_CA - for tables created for the audit log entries of a business class
  • <BusClass>_CV - for tables created from current business class data and with the columnar variation pattern
  • <BusClass>_CAV - for tables created for the audit log entries of a business class and with the columnar variation pattern

Subsequent replications will update those existing tables. However, please note that resetting a columnar replication set will result in the table being dropped and then rebuilt starting over from scratch (that is, no truncating).

When a list is accessed that is defined to implement a columnar view, it will automatically know to access the latest variation of the table. If no replication set for the business class exists or has never been run, an error will be shown asking for the user to create and/or run a columnar replication set.

External views will need to query the appropriate columnar table and use the last variation ID for the current record when data is replicated using the columnar variation pattern.

  1. To define and run the required replication set, see the general instructions in Creating replication sets. The key points for defining a replication set for a columnar table is that the Export Format must be Columnar and the replication set must contain all of the fields that are on the list that will use the columnar table. All field types supported in ordinary data replication are supported in columnar replications except for CLOBs. For audit log entry replication, the fields should be the audit fields.
  2. If the LPL for the list that you want to have a columnar view in does not already implement a columnar view, access the list's LPL in the Configuration Console and add "implements ColumnarView" to the list definition. For an audit list, the LPL definition must also define the list as "is an AuditList." For more information, see the Configuration Console User Guide.