Hey everybody,
We have daily SQL activity in Automation Studio to populate (overwrite) a "master" Data Extension. This DE simply combines synchronized objects (Contacts & Leads) from Service Cloud and adds a few convenience fields (i.e. owner name and record type).
From that master DE, we have created several filtered Salesforce Data Extensions. Most are based on the value of a multi-select picklist. When these DEs are used in a send in Email Studio, we've noticed that it doesn't always pick-up any field updates or new records based on the filter conditions. Are filtered DEs a snapshot in time and non-dynamic?
It appears that a simple refresh of the DE will resolve this issue. After a manual refresh, the changes are reflected in the DE. Therefore, we would like to set-up automation to refresh these DEs on a set schedule and not rely on the users to refresh prior to every send.
Poking around automation studio, it doesn't appear that there's not a "refresh" activity, but there is a "filter" activity. Thinking this is the way to go. However, and the reason for this post, it appears that you cannot apply this filter activity to an existing DE. You must create a new one. Am I overlooking something?
Ideally, we want to preserve the current DE and the underlying tracking data. We don't want to delete the current one if it can be avoided. DE names also appear to be required to be unique so we cannot use our desired name either. It is already in use by the DE we wish to remain. The filter activity will not allow us to use the same name for the resulting DE.
Also, during that filter activity set-up wizard, you are never prompted to select a DE to apply the filter. How does it know what it is filtering? In addition, you never have to select a destination folder for the resulting DE. What gives? Where is the resulting DE created (where in the file system)? Am I to believe it's just magic?
If there's a better way to architect this process, we are all ears. We're relatively new to Marketing Cloud and haven't quite earned our stripes. Can we not have our cake and eat it? We love cake.
Yes, whenever you create a data filter, it has to be associated with a data extension that gets created at the time of definition. It's tightly coupled, my suggestion would be to define data relationship.
