Calibrate Attribute Data

Learning Objectives

After completing this unit, you’ll be able to:

• Explain attribute calibration in Shared Catalog.
  
• Describe the purpose of the EPCProductAttribJSONBatchJob and how to run it.
  
• Describe how to check completion of Apex jobs.
  
• Explain how to view and manage platform cache partitions.
  

Attribute Calibration

Infiwave’s Catalog Administrator Mary now knows how to ensure that the product hierarchy and other cached data accurately display during run-time processes. Next, she wants to explore how to protect product attribute data from potential errors. She also wants to check that the jobs she runs are completing successfully, and explore platform cache partitions.

First, we go over how products inherit and store attribute data. When you create products in Product Designer, you can assign either an object type or a product specification. The product then inherits the preconfigured set of attributes contained within the object type or specification, which greatly speeds up development. 

The JSONAttribute field on the product stores this attribute information as a block of JSON code, as shown here. Notice that the JSON code contains an object ID, attribute ID, and attribute category ID. With these IDs, you get faster direct access for system processes. 

Sometimes, this data can become scrambled and the org no longer can match the correct IDs to one another, which leads to issues. This problem occurs when you migrate product data from one org to another org, such as a sandbox environment. It can also happen when you add an attribute to an object type or product specification after you’ve already assigned that object type or specification to a product. 

To correct this issue, sync the attribute data back to the correct products. That’s why Salesforce Industries Communications, Media, and Energy Clouds include a special Apex batch job appropriately called the EPCProductAttribJSONBatchJob. This job regenerates attribute data across the product catalog and then saves the JSONAttribute field with the correct record IDs. This job is incredibly helpful when troubleshooting product attribute issues. For example, if an attribute value doesn’t display correctly at run time after you’ve made a change to it in Product Designer.  

In short, you run this job when: 

• Attributes don’t appear as expected in Industries Configure, Price, Quote (CPQ).
  
• You import data to Enterprise Product Catalog (EPC) from an external source.
  
• You migrate data to another org, such as a sandbox.
  
• The JSON values for an attribute appear incorrect.
  

By default, the batch job runs across all product attributes, but you can set it to run only for a specific subset of data. Refer to the link in the Resources section to learn more. 

Run the EPCProductAttribJSONBatchJob

To run the EPCProductAttribJSONBatchJob, navigate to the CME Admin app from the App Launcher.

Click the Vlocity Attributes tab. Optionally, you can change the list view to All to show the full list of attributes in Shared Catalog. 

To make changes to attributes or attribute values, always use the Product Designer. 

Click Process Attributes to recalibrate the attribute data across the catalog and then click Start Processing to confirm the selection. 

Mary is happy that she has yet another tool that helps her avoid data inconsistencies in Shared Catalog. But she wants to ensure that the system has successfully performed these jobs without errors. 

Confirm Apex Job Completion

To confirm that the batch jobs have completed successfully, go to Setupand navigate to Apex Jobs. 

By default, the list of jobs appears in order of the submitted date. The ones you ran most recently appear at the top. 

Any errors that occur appear in the Status Detail column. 

If you get an error message about EPCProductAttribJSONBatchJob failing, don't worry. Rerun the job and check again.

View and Calculate the Platform Cache

Mary now explores how to view and manage the platform cache and CPQPartition. This allows her to monitor the space available for data and its allocation. 

While still in Setup, in the Quick Find box, search for and select Platform Cache.

On the Platform Cache Partition screen, notice the org’s current cache usage, the capacity breakdown, and the partition allocation. 

Hover over the pie chart components in Partition Allocation to view the different partitions, including the CPQPartition. You can also view more information about these partitions or create a new platform cache partition on this screen. 

On the Platform Cache Partition screen, click Recalculate to update the partition cache. 

Then, select CPQPartition in the list to open usage information about the partition. 

This screen shows that the org cache is now populated. Notice the Clear Cache button, which deletes the contents of the CPQPartition cache, and performs the same function as the Clear Managed Platform Cache job you saw earlier. But if you want to rebuild the cache, run the Refresh Platform Cache job in Vlocity CMT Administration. Remember, clear the cache only when there are no orders in the Cart. 

Now that we’ve walked through the basics of Shared Catalog management, use these interactive flashcards to brush up on the different admin jobs you learned in this module.

Read the job on each card, then click on the card to reveal its functionality. Click the right-facing arrow to move to the next card, and the left-facing arrow to return to the previous card. 

Mary’s learned some valuable admin skills that help her in keeping Infiwave’s catalog data accurate and accessible to her users. With a catalog free of errors, she’s sure that products continue flying off the shelves and her inbox remains free of error notifications. After all, when it comes to catalog administration, no news is good news!

Want to Learn More?

If you’re a Salesforce customer, check out the following learning journeys to find out how to skill up on our amazing suite of digital transformation tools and industry applications.

• Communications Cloud Developer
  
• Communications Cloud Consultant
  
• Media Cloud Developer
  
• Media Cloud Consultant
  
• Energy & Utilities Cloud Developer
  
• Energy & Utilities Cloud Consultant
  

If you’re a Salesforce partner, you’ll find the same great learning plus additional partner resources on Partner Learning Camp. #AlwaysBeLearning 

Resources 

• Salesforce Help: EPC Product Attribute JSON