Configure a Contact Validation Task
Complete the following steps to configure a Contact Validation task:
- 1. Define the Contact Validation task.
- 2. Configure the source.
- 3. Optionally, configure data filters.
- 4. Configure validation fields.
- 5. Configure output file details.
- 6. Optionally, configure a schedule and advanced options.
When you configure a Contact Validation task, you can save your work at any time. You can choose one of the following options:
- •Save and continue
- •Save and run
- •Save and close
Step 1. Define the Contact Validation Task
Define the Contact Validation task.
1. To create a Contact Validation task, click Task Wizards > Contact Validation, and then click New.
To edit a Contact Validation task, click Task Wizards > Contact Validation, click the name of the Contact Validation task, and then click Edit.
2. On the Definition page, configure the following fields:
Field | Description |
|---|
Task Name | Name of the task. Task names must be unique within the organization. Task names can contain alphanumeric characters, spaces, and the following special characters: _ . + - Maximum length is 100 characters. Task names are not case sensitive. |
Description | Description of the Contact Validation task. Maximum length is 4000 characters. |
Task Operation | Select the task operations you want to perform: - - Validate Postal Addresses
- - Add Geocode Based on Postal Addresses
- - Validate Email Addresses
- - Validate Phone Numbers against the Do Not Call Registry
The validation options that display on the Validation Fields page depend on the operations you select. |
3. Click Next.
Step 2. Configure the Source
Select the source for the Contact Validation task.
1. On the Source page, select a connection.
To create a connection, click New. To edit a connection, click View, and in the View Connection dialog box, click Edit.
2. If the connection includes less than 200 objects, select a source object.
If the connection includes more than 200 objects, click Select.
The Select Source Object dialog box displays up to 200 objects. If the object you want to use does not display, enter a search string to reduce the number of objects that display.
Select a source object and click OK.
3. To display technical names instead of business names for some connection types, select Display technical field names instead of labels.
4. For Source Object, select a source.
When you select a source, the Data Preview area shows the first ten rows of the first five columns in the source. It also displays the total number of columns in the source.
The Data Preview area does not display certain Unicode characters correctly. If the data contains binary data, the Data Preview area shows the following text:
BINARY DATA
5. To preview all source columns in a flat file, click Preview All Columns.
The flat file shows the first ten rows of the source.
6. Click Next.
Step 3. Configure the Data Filters
Use a data filter to reduce the number of source rows that the Contact Validation task reads. You can create an advanced data filter for a flat file source. You can create basic or advanced data filters for all other source types.
By default, the Contact Validation task reads all source rows.
1. On the Data Filters page, choose whether to read all rows in sources or to read the first set of rows in sources.
- - To read all rows, select Process all rows.
- - To read the first set of rows, select Process only the first... rows and enter a number.
2. To create a data filter, click New.
- - To create a simple data filter, select a source column and operator. Enter the value you want to use and click OK.
- - To create an advanced data filter, click Advanced. Enter the field expression you want to use and click OK.
To delete a data filter, click the Delete icon.
3. Click Next.
Step 4. Configure Validation Fields
Configure validation fields to define the source data that the Contact Validation task processes. You can validate one set of address fields, one email address field, and one phone number field in a Contact Validation task.
Address Validation
When you configure a task to validate and correct postal address data, you select the address format type that you want to use, and then the source fields that you want to validate. You can also configure the contact fields for each address, such as a contact name or organization name.
When you select an address format type, select the address format type that best fits source data, and map the source fields as accurately as possible. Using a format type that does not match source data can result in slow job performance or inaccurate results.
You can use one of the following address format types:
- •Discrete. Address information is separated into discrete parts, such as a house number separate from the street name.
- •Hybrid. Address information has some discrete and merged information, such as a house number included with the street name.
- •Unfielded. Address information does not match the discrete or hybrid formats.
After you select an address format, map the source fields that you want to validate to the appropriate validation fields.
Rules and Guidelines to Configure Validation Fields
Use the following rules and guidelines to configure validation fields:
- •You can add additional fields for some field types. For example, you can add an Address Line 2 field to the Hybrid format.
- •You can include more than one source field for an address field. For example, you might add both the house number field and street name field to have them evaluated together as the Address Line field.
- •You do not have to use all address fields. For example, if the address does not include a Country field, you can leave the Country field blank. Then, configure the Default Country advanced option on the Schedule page.
Configuring Validation Fields
The Contact Validation task wizard displays validation fields based on the Task Operation configuration on the Definition page.
1. On the Validation Fields page, from the Format menu, select the address format type that best fits source data.
- - Discrete. Address information is separated into discrete parts, such as a house number separate from the street name.
- - Hybrid. Address information has some discrete and merged information, such as a house number included with the street name.
- - Unfielded. Address information does not match the discrete or hybrid formats.
You can add additional fields for some field types.
2. Drag the source address fields that you want to validate to the appropriate validation field.
If you drag more than one source field to a validation field, the Contact Validation task evaluates the source fields together.
Use the Add icon to add additional fields of that type. You can use the Remove icon to delete any unnecessary added fields.
Use the Clear icon to clear the source fields from the address field.
You do not have to use all address fields.
3. Optionally, configure the Contact Fields that you want to use.
4. To validate an email address field, drag the source email address field to the Email Address Field.
5. To validate a phone number field, drag the source phone number field to the Phone Number Field.
6. Click Next.
Step 5. Configure the Output File Details
The Contact Validation task can write all data to a single output file. Or, it can write data to two files: a high-confidence output file and a low-confidence output file. You can configure a task to write validated or corrected data to a high-confidence output file and write invalid data to low-confidence output file for data stewardship.
When you configure the task to create a low-confidence, secondary output file, you select the data that you want to write to the file. The Contact Validation task writes a row to the secondary output file based on the configured criteria, regardless of other valid data in the row. For example, if you configure the task to write invalid email addresses to the secondary output file, the Contact Validation task writes all source rows with invalid email addresses, and email addresses that cannot be validated, to the secondary output file. This occurs even if the row has valid or corrected address or phone number information.
When you configure output file details, you can select additional source fields include in the output files. The Contact Validation task passes data from the additional source fields to the output files without validation or correction.
To configure output file details:
1. On the Output File Details page, enter the following information:
Field | Description |
|---|
Flat File Connection | Flat file connection used to create the output file. You can create a new connection. You can also view and edit the connection. |
Output File Name | Name of the output file. |
Append the run date to output file names | Appends the date that the job completes to the name of the output file. |
Create a secondary output file for invalid or unverified data | Creates a secondary output file for invalid or unverified data based on the options that you select. If you do not create a secondary output file, all data is written to a single output file. |
2. If you want to create a secondary output file for invalid or unverified data, enter a name for the secondary output file and select at least one of the output file conditions.
3. Optionally, select additional source fields to include in output files.
The selected source fields are included in output files. They are not validated by the Contact Validation task.
4. Click Next.
Step 6. Configure a Schedule and Advanced Options
You can run a Contact Validation task manually or schedule it to run at a specific time or interval. You can create a schedule or use an existing schedule.
You can also configure advanced options for the task.
Process Mode
The Contact Validation task can process address data from certain countries based on the postal organization certification rules for the country. Use the certified process mode to process data based on certification rules for the country.
You can use certified mode to process data from the following countries:
- •United States. Uses the Coding Accuracy Support System (CASS) offered by the United States Postal Service. When you use the certified mode for United States addresses, you are automatically qualified for significant United States Postal Service mailing discounts.
- •Australia. Uses the Address Matching Approval System (AMAS) approved by the Australia Post.
- •Canada. Uses the Software Evaluation and Recognition Program (SERP) approved by the Canada Post.
- •France. Uses Service National de l'Adresse (SNA) offered by La Poste.
For all other countries, the certified process mode is not available.
When you use the certified process mode, the output file includes additional output fields based on the country address data.
Default Country
You can define the default country for a Contact Validation task that processes postal address data.
The Contact Validation task uses the default country when country information is not available. This can occur when source data does not include country information or when you do not select a country field for validation.
When country information is available, the Contact Validation task ignores the default country and uses the available country information.
You can force the use of the default country. When you force the default country, the Contact Validation task replaces all country information with the default country.
Country Type
Configure the country type to define the language that the Contact Validation task uses to read the country value in source data. If you select an incorrect country type, the Contact Validation task might not recognize country names.
For example, if your data includes country names in French, such as Angleterre, Espagne, or Allemagne, select French as the country type.
Preferred Script
You can configure the preferred script for output data. The Contact Validation task uses the preferred script to write validated data.
You can select one of the following Preferred Script options:
- •Country Standard. For countries that use the Latin script, Country Standard returns validated data in Latin. For countries that do not use the Latin script, such as Japan, China and Russia, Country Standard converts validated data in the native script for the country.
- •Latin. For countries that use the Latin script, Country Standard returns validated data in Latin. For countries that do not use the Latin script, Country Standard converts validated data to Latin script.
When converting data to the preferred script, the Contact Validation task converts validated data only. It does not convert pass-through data or data that was not validated.
Buffer Block Size
You can configure the buffer block size for Contact Validation tasks. The buffer block size specifies the amount of buffer memory used to move a block of data from sources and to targets. Configure the buffer block size when a task fails with memory allocation or out-of-memory errors.
A task fails with memory errors when the required resources on the Secure Agent machine are not available. You can reduce the required resources by reducing the buffer block size for the task. Start at 8000 KB, and reduce the buffer block size incrementally until the task completes.
Configuring a Schedule and Advanced Options
1. On the Schedule page, choose whether to run the task on a schedule or without a schedule.
2. To run a task on a schedule, click Run this task on schedule and select the schedule you want to use.
To create a new schedule, click New. Enter schedule details and click OK.
To remove the task from a schedule, click Do not run this task on a schedule.
3. Configure email notification options:
Field | Description |
|---|
Use Default Email Notification Options for my Organization | Use the email notification options configured for the organization. |
Use Custom Email Notification Options for this Task | Use the email notification options configured for the task. You can send email to different addresses based on the status of the task: - - Failure Email Notification. Sends email to the listed addresses when the task fails to complete.
- - Success Email Notification. Sends email to the listed addresses when the task completes without errors.
Use commas to separate a list of email addresses. When you select this option, email notification options configured for the organization are not used. |
4. Select a Default Country, and optionally configure the other advanced options:
Field | Description |
|---|
Process Mode | Process mode for the task: - - Batch. Default mode.
- - Certified. Available for the United States, Canada, France, and Australia. Processes with cleansing logic based on the postal organization certification rules for the country.
|
Default Country | Default country for addresses. Used when an address does not include country information or when you do not select a country field for validation. |
Force Default Country | Replaces all existing country data with the configured default country. Select to update all addresses to use the configured default country. |
Country Type | Language used to read country data. Default is English. |
Street with Number | Indicates that the street address includes a house or building number: - - True. Street address includes a house or building number.
- - False. Street address does not include a house or building number.
Default is False. |
Preferred Script | Preferred language for output: - - Country Standard. For countries that use the Latin script, Country Standard returns validated data in Latin. For countries that do not use the Latin script, such as Japan, China and Russia, Country Standard converts validated data in the native script for the country.
- - Latin. For countries that use the Latin script, Country Standard returns validated data in Latin. For countries that do not use the Latin script, Country Standard converts validated data to Latin script.
|
Global Casing | Defines the casing for address data: - - No Change. No change to address data.
- - Native. Native defaults by country. For example, upper case for state abbreviations in the United States, e.g. "CA".
- - Upper. All upper case. For example, "REDWOOD CITY".
- - Mixed. First letter capitalized, followed by lower case. For example, "Redwood City".
Default is No Change. |
Remove Diacritics | Removes accents and other diacritic marks from text data. - - Yes. Removes diacritics.
- - No. Retains diacritics.
|
Buffer Block Size | Configures the buffer block size used to move from sources and to targets. - - Automatically determined by Secure Agent. Use this default unless the job fails with memory errors.
- - Custom. Buffer block size in kilobytes.
|
5. Choose whether to run the task in standard or verbose execution mode.
If you select Verbose mode, the mapping generates additional data in the logs that you can use for troubleshooting. It is recommended that you select verbose execution mode only for troubleshooting purposes. Verbose execution mode impacts performance because of the amount of data it generates.
6. Click Save.
View Contact Validation Task Details
You can view details about a Contact Validation task, including the source connection, task operation, and output file details. When you view task details, click Edit to modify the Contact Validation task.
Click Task Wizards >
Contact Validation, and then click the Contact Validation task name.The details appear on the View Contact Validation Task page.