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RE: Flat file generation integrity ideas...

From: DENNIS WILLIAMS <DWILLIAMS_at_LIFETOUCH.COM>
Date: Thu, 24 Oct 2002 11:51:59 -0800
Message-ID: <F001.004F2DFD.20021024115159@fatcity.com>


Chris - If Tom's idea provides you the protection you require, with convenience to boot, then it sounds like you have a winner. I think all the suggestions provide some variety of checksum, a standard computer science technique. What are your requirements? Mainly to make sure the file doesn't get truncated? To make sure some of the records don't get changed?

Dennis Williams
DBA, 40%OCP
Lifetouch, Inc.
dwilliams_at_lifetouch.com

-----Original Message-----
Sent: Thursday, October 24, 2002 2:02 PM To: Multiple recipients of list ORACLE-L

I will have to keep those in mind, if I ever get back onto a UNIX platform.

Right now, I'm sticking to Tom's suggestion because I religiously follow KISS. Thanks!!

-----Original Message-----
Sent: Thursday, October 24, 2002 2:19 PM To: Multiple recipients of list ORACLE-L

Chris - I would consider checksums. Many systems have built-in checksum functions. On Unix these are cksum and sum. You could probably write a simple one that would work on your various systems. Search for checksum and somewhere on the Internet is probably sample code for one in a language that will work for you.  

Dennis Williams
DBA, 40%OCP
Lifetouch, Inc.
dwilliams_at_lifetouch.com

-----Original Message-----
Sent: Thursday, October 24, 2002 12:35 PM To: Multiple recipients of list ORACLE-L

I have to create packages that will generate several flat files of data from tables that will be sent to other systems to be processed.

I am looking for ideas on how to ensure data integrity in the flat files.

For example, the expected record count is stored on the first line of the file to ensure that the correct amount of records was received.

The systems group is chartered to ensure the flat files are correctly FTPed between systems, so that's covered.

I just worry that if "somehow" a flat file is scrambled then the scrambled data is loaded into the database, therefore corrupting it.

At this phase, XML is not an option

I keep thinking that some sort of CRC should be stored with each line in the flat file. And then before the line is loaded into the database, the CRC is compared against the generated CRC of the just read line. Has anyone done anything like this? Any examples out there?

Many TIA!!

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Author: DENNIS WILLIAMS
  INET: DWILLIAMS_at_LIFETOUCH.COM

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Author: Grabowy, Chris
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Author: DENNIS WILLIAMS
  INET: DWILLIAMS_at_LIFETOUCH.COM
Fat City Network Services    -- 858-538-5051 http://www.fatcity.com
San Diego, California        -- Mailing list and web hosting services
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To REMOVE yourself from this mailing list, send an E-Mail message to: ListGuru_at_fatcity.com (note EXACT spelling of 'ListGuru') and in the message BODY, include a line containing: UNSUB ORACLE-L (or the name of mailing list you want to be removed from). You may also send the HELP command for other information (like subscribing). Received on Thu Oct 24 2002 - 14:51:59 CDT

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