The Sort Utility reads rows from one or more input files and sorts them according to your specifications to produce a single output. The Sort Utility is used to sort rows before the Postal Matcher and Relationship Linker processes to obtain optimum performance. The Sort Utility can also be used to sort input data for other processes, such as the File Update process.
The Sort Utility uses
- SyncSort
- SyncSort is a high-performance sort technology offered by SyncSort Incorporated.
Guidelines
-
Backward compatibility with Opttech Sort. As of v15.6, Opttech Sort technology
has been replaced with SyncSort technology. If you have existing projects using
Opttech Sort, the projects now run using SyncSort and you will see messages in the
process log. Note the following when using existing projects:
- Keep just the duplicates (JUST_DUPES) - This option for the Duplicates setting is not currently supported by SyncSort. If your project includes this option, the Sort will generate an error message.
- Retain order of same-key records (STABLE_SORT) - If the Preferred sort method is set to Opttech and the Retain order of same-key records option is not selected, the Sort will internally enable this option to retain the order of same-key records.
- Batch only. The Sort utility is designed for batch only and cannot be deployed in a real-time environment. If a real-time project includes the Sort process, the process will be excluded when the project is deployed for use in real time.