CompTIA Data+ (DA0-002)Data Governance, Quality and ControlsHard
During a customer data consolidation project, a master data management system identifies three source records for the same customer with conflicting phone numbers. The system is configured to automatically select the value from the most recently updated source system as the final value in the golden record. This configuration is an example of which MDM concept?
- ASurvivorship rule
- BData lineage tracking
- CReferential integrity constraint
- DData profiling rule
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: A. Survivorship rule
A survivorship rule determines which conflicting attribute value 'survives' into the golden record when multiple source systems provide different values for the same entity. Here, the rule is 'most recently updated wins.' Referential integrity concerns valid relationships between tables, lineage tracks data's history, and profiling analyzes data characteristics rather than resolving conflicts.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. Data lineage tracks where data came from and how it moved, not which value is chosen as final.
- C. Referential integrity ensures foreign key relationships are valid, unrelated to selecting a winning value.
- D. Data profiling analyzes data patterns and anomalies, not the resolution of conflicting values.
Survivorship Rule (MDM)
A predefined rule in master data management that determines which value 'survives' into the golden record when multiple source systems have conflicting data for the same attribute.
- Common rules: most recent update, most trusted source, most complete value
- Applied during the merge/match process when building golden records
- Different from lineage, which just tracks data's origin/history
Memory trick: Survivorship = the value that WINS the battle to enter the Golden Record 🏆