Create a Domain

Applies to: SQL Server

This topic describes how to create a domain in Data Quality Services (DQS). The values in the domain are a semantic representation of the data in a field. For more information on domains, see Managing a Domain.

There are two ways to create a new domain. The first is during the Map step of the knowledge discovery activity, when you are in the process of analyzing a data sample to add knowledge to a new or existing knowledge base. The second is during the domain management activity, when instead of changing an existing domain, you create a new one.

Before You Begin

Prerequisites

To create a domain, you must have created and opened a knowledge base.

Security

Permissions

You must have the dqs_kb_editor role or the dqs_administrator on the DQS_MAIN database to create a domain.

Create a Domain in the Knowledge Discovery Activity

1. Start Data Quality Client. For information about doing so, see Run the Data Quality Client Application.

2. In the Data Quality Client home screen, click Open knowledge base and then select a knowledge base, or click New knowledge base and enter properties for the new knowledge base.

3. Select Knowledge Discovery as the activity, and then click Create to create the new knowledge base or Open to open an existing knowledge base.

4. On the Map page, specify a connection to the data source. For more information, see Perform Knowledge Discovery.

5. In the Mappings table, select a source column from the drop-down list for the Source Column column of an empty row. If no corresponding domain exists, click the Create a Domain icon.

Create a Domain in the Domain Management Activity

1. In the Data Quality Client home screen, click Open knowledge base and then select a knowledge base, or click New knowledge base and enter properties for the new knowledge base.

2. Select Domain Management as the activity, and then click Create to create the new knowledge base or Open to open an existing knowledge base.

3. On the Domain Management page, click the Create a Domain icon above the Domain list.

Set Domain Properties

1. In the Create Domain dialog box, enter a name that is unique to the knowledge base and a description up to 256 characters.

   Note

   For more information about domain properties, see Set Domain Properties.

2. From the Data Type list, select a data type for the values in the domain. The data type can be String (the default), Date, Integer, or Decimal.

3. Select Use Leading Values to specify that the leading value in a group of synonyms will be output instead of a value that is a synonym to it. Deselect Use Leading Values to specify that each synonym value is output in its correct or corrected form, and is not replaced by the leading value for its group.

4. If the data type is String, select Normalize String to remove special characters in the domain values, which may improve the likelihood of matches.

5. From the Format Output to drop-down list, select the formatting that will be applied when the data values in the domain are output. The formatting is specific to the data type selected in step 2, as shown in the following list:

   • For a string value, you can specify that the string be output as upper case, lower case, or capitalized.

   • For a date value, you can specify the format of the day, month, and year.

   • For an integer value, you can specify the type of format mask to be applied.

   • For a decimal value, you can specify the accuracy and the type of format mask to be applied.

   Selecting None in the Format Output to drop-down list means none of the formats in the list will be applied.

6. If the data type is String, in the Language drop-down list, select which language version of the speller you want to apply if you enable the speller.

7. If the data type is String, select Enable Speller to run the Speller on all string values when populating the domain.

8. If the data type is String, select Disable Syntax Error Algorithms to populate the domain without checking string values for syntax errors.

9. Click OK.

10. Click Finish to complete the domain management activity, as described in End the Domain Management Activity.

Follow Up: After Creating a Domain

After you create a domain, you can perform other domain management tasks on the domain, you can perform knowledge discovery to add knowledge to the domain, or you can add a matching policy to the domain. For more information, see Perform Knowledge Discovery, Managing a Domain, or Create a Matching Policy.