Sql-server – How to store chains of information

sql serversql-server-2008-r2

I am currently trying to design a table structure that can capture report data (from various sources) in an ordered fashion.

Let me give you an example:

Each day I receive three separate reports from various companies (one report per company). These reports are a dump of their database tables and include PK, FK to previous report row (of another company), Amount, CustomerID, Timestamp and some other unrelated fields.

The order of the reports is very important. The three reports create a chain that I am interested in (query later). Each record only knows about its immediate predecessor (FK to previous report row) and is NULL if it is the root record.

The problem I am running into is the fact that for certain chains, the length of the chain can be 5 reports, others are 3. I'm wondering if it is possible to design a Chain(?) definition table somehow and reference a chain id somewhere in the record so that the record knows which part of the chain it belongs to.

The previous developer created a table per report and had humongous amounts of business logic to tie report chains together. I would like to abstract this design so that the tables are agnostic to the reports and have one to four tables instead of fourty-seven.

Once everything is stored, I would like to query a specific master record and see all children records and their amounts.

I read about self referencing tables, but I am not quite sure if this is the right way to go.

SQL: SQL Server 2008R2

Best Answer

From what you've described a self referencing table is the way to go. This only works if you can get all the data into a single schema (which you probably can). It'll make the management a piece of cake and you can have changes on infinite length at this point.

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Sql-server – Faster alternative to scalar UDF with recursion to walk tree hierarchy

Let's start with this. Let us know if it looks something like this. Please edit as necessary. I am adding data into the table:

INSERT INTO Customer (CustomerID, ParentCustomerID, IsBillToCustomer)
select  1   ,   0   ,   0   union all
select  2   ,   0   ,   0   union all
select  3   ,   0   ,   0       union all
select  4   ,   1   ,   0   union all
select  5   ,   2   ,   0   union all
select  6   ,   3   ,   1   union all
select  7   ,   1   ,   1   union all
select  8   ,   2   ,   1   union all
select  9   ,   3   ,   1   union all
select  10  ,   1   ,   0   union all
select  11  ,   2   ,   0   union all
select  12  ,   3   ,   0   union all
select  13  ,   1   ,   0   union all
select  14  ,   2   ,   0   union all
select  15  ,   3   ,   1   union all
select  16  ,   1   ,   1   union all
select  17  ,   2   ,   1   union all
select  18  ,   3   ,   1   union all
select  19  ,   1   ,   0   union all
select  20  ,   2   ,   1   union all
select  21  ,   3   ,   1   union all
select  22  ,   1   ,   1   union all
select  23  ,   2   ,   0   union all
select  24  ,   3   ,   0   union all
select  25  ,   1   ,   1   union all
select  26  ,   2   ,   1   union all
select  27  ,   3   ,   1   union all
select  28  ,   1   ,   1   union all
select  29  ,   2   ,   0   union all
select  30  ,   3   ,   0   union all
select  31  ,   1   ,   0   union all
select  32  ,   2   ,   0   union all
select  33  ,   3   ,   0   union all
select  34  ,   1   ,   1   union all
select  35  ,   2   ,   1   union all
select  36  ,   3   ,   1   union all
select  37  ,   1   ,   1   union all
select  38  ,   2   ,   0   union all
select  39  ,   3   ,   1   union all
select  40  ,   1   ,   1   union all
select  41  ,   2   ,   1   union all
select  42  ,   3   ,   0   union all
select  43  ,   1   ,   0   union all
select  44  ,   2   ,   1   union all
select  45  ,   3   ,   1   union all
select  46  ,   1   ,   1   union all
select  47  ,   2   ,   1   union all
select  48  ,   3   ,   0   union all
select  49  ,   1   ,   0   union all
select  50  ,   2   ,   0   union all
select  51  ,   3   ,   0   union all
select  52  ,   1   ,   0   union all
select  53  ,   2   ,   1   union all
select  54  ,   3   ,   1   union all
select  55  ,   1   ,   1   union all
select  56  ,   2   ,   1   union all
select  57  ,   3   ,   0   union all
select  58  ,   1   ,   1   union all
select  59  ,   2   ,   1   union all
select  60  ,   3   ,   1   union all
select  61  ,   1   ,   0   union all
select  62  ,   2   ,   0   union all
select  63  ,   3   ,   1   union all
select  64  ,   1   ,   1   union all
select  65  ,   2   ,   1   union all
select  66  ,   3   ,   1   union all
select  67  ,   1   ,   0   union all
select  68  ,   2   ,   0   union all
select  69  ,   3   ,   0   union all
select  70  ,   1   ,   0   union all
select  71  ,   2   ,   0   union all
select  72  ,   3   ,   1   union all
select  73  ,   1   ,   1   union all
select  74  ,   2   ,   1   union all
select  75  ,   3   ,   1   union all
select  76  ,   1   ,   0   union all
select  77  ,   2   ,   1   union all
select  78  ,   3   ,   1   union all
select  79  ,   1   ,   1   union all
select  80  ,   2   ,   0   union all
select  81  ,   3   ,   0   union all
select  82  ,   1   ,   1   union all
select  83  ,   2   ,   1   union all
select  84  ,   3   ,   1   union all
select  85  ,   1   ,   1   union all
select  86  ,   2   ,   0   union all
select  87  ,   3   ,   0   union all
select  88  ,   1   ,   0   union all
select  89  ,   2   ,   0   union all
select  90  ,   3   ,   0   union all
select  91  ,   1   ,   1   union all
select  92  ,   2   ,   1   union all
select  93  ,   3   ,   1   union all
select  94  ,   1   ,   1   union all
select  95  ,   2   ,   0   union all
select  96  ,   3   ,   1   union all
select  97  ,   1   ,   1   union all
select  98  ,   2   ,   1   union all
select  99  ,   3   ,   0   union all
select  100 ,   1   ,   0   union all
select  101 ,   2   ,   1   union all
select  102 ,   3   ,   1   union all
select  103 ,   1   ,   1

So, let's run a simple CTE with the data we have. Then from here show us where we are and what we're trying to achieve:

;With Parent(CustomerID, ParentCustomerID, IsBillToCustomer)
As
(
   Select c.CustomerID, c.ParentCustomerID, c.IsBillToCustomer
    from Customer c
    WHERE c.ParentCustomerID = 0
    UNION ALL
  Select c.CustomerID, c.ParentCustomerID, c.IsBillToCustomer
    from Customer c
    inner join Customer p on p.CustomerID=c.ParentCustomerID
)

Select *
  from Parent p

Help us understand the problem. Thanks.

Sql-server – How to create a summary report that contains other reports

You can do this. You can create a single report that has multiple data sources (one per environment). Add the data sets required. Recreate the graphs (you may be able to leverage some cut-and-paste). In order to format them nicely, you will need to place the graphs into the cells of a matrix.

You could also build a single report that links to other reports.

I realize this is a high-level description of how to do it - if you need further details, let me know.

Best Answer

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Sql-server – Faster alternative to scalar UDF with recursion to walk tree hierarchy

Sql-server – How to create a summary report that contains other reports

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