Skip to main content

Intra-system relations

Data relationship guide

Intra-system relations show NIM how records in different tables of the same system belong together.

An intra-system relation connects data tables inside one system. NIM uses the keys you configure to make those connections available to filters, roles, and other workflows.

For example, an HR system may connect an employee record to its department, manager, employment, or job-title record. A directory system may connect users and groups through a membership table.

Before you create relationsDirect link to Before you create relations

  1. Select and collect the tables that contain both sides of the relationship.
  2. Collect the columns that hold the identifier and the corresponding foreign-key value.
  3. Assign a stable primary key to each parent table.
  4. Confirm the foreign-key values actually match the intended parent-key values in collected data.
Model the data, not just the labelsSimilar column names can be a useful hint, but they are not proof of a valid relation. Review sample values before saving an automatically suggested relationship.

Relationship typesDirect link to Relationship types

TypeMeaningCommon exampleHow NIM configures it
1-NOne parent record can have many child records; each child points to no more than one parent.One department has many employees.You define it manually or review an automatically suggested relation.
N-NRecords on both sides can have multiple related records.A user can belong to many groups, and a group can contain many users.NIM derives it from the underlying 1-N relations; you enable or disable it.

1-N intra-system relationsDirect link to 1-N intra-system relations

A 1-N relation begins on the N side—the child or referencing table. The child table has a foreign-key value that points to the primary key in the parent table.

For example, in an employees table, the department column might point to departments.organizational_unit. One department can be related to many employee records, while each employee record belongs to one department.

To configure 1-N relations:

  1. Open the referencing table and go to its Relations tab.
  2. Use Determine relations automatically to have NIM propose likely matches, or select a foreign-key column and add the appropriate parent-key match manually.
  3. Review every proposed relation against the collected values.
  4. Save the configuration and collect the system again.

For the detailed UI procedure, see Configure 1-N relations.

N-N intra-system relationsDirect link to N-N intra-system relations

N-N relations simplify navigation through data that has a many-to-many structure. A typical example is user-to-group membership: a membership table connects many users to many groups.

NIM calculates N-N relations from the 1-N relations already defined in the data model. You do not create them independently. After verifying the underlying 1-N relations, enable the N-N relation you need, save, and collect the system again.

N-N relations do not change the underlying data. They make complex relationships easier to use in filters by reducing the number of individual joins you need to build.

See Configure N-N relations for the UI steps.

Validate the resultDirect link to Validate the result

  • Inspect a sample parent record and confirm the expected child records are available through the relation.
  • Test a filter with a relation item before relying on the relation in mappings or roles.
  • If the relation has no results, verify the collected column values, key selection, data types, and whether the system was recollected after the change.
tip

Use an intra-system relation only for tables in the same NIM system. To connect records across different systems—such as HR employees and directory accounts—configure an inter-system relation.

Next stepDirect link to Next step

Open Specify intra-system relations to configure and validate the relationships in your system’s data model.

Last updated on