Are there any limits to the objects you can merge?
Apsona Dedupe and Match provides the ability to match any Salesforce object for duplicates and merge them (overwriting/combining fields and re-parenting related records to the winning parent record.) Apsona Dedupe and Match has two checkboxes after clicking "Merge All" to provide controls on the Merge Operation. Plan on using the "Salesforce merge API" for Contacts, Leads, Accounts unless your org specific triggers or automations are preventing the merges. Then you can uncheck the field and use a custom merge algorithm instead. The number of API calls will increase with a custom merge - so plan accordingly in the number of API calls available in your Salesforce Org.
Lastly, the "Use Small Batches" feature reduces the number of records that are merged in each operation (5 / batch vs. 200 / batch). This can increase the length of time it takes to produce the merge - so it may extend the length of time you are performing a merge operation. Do a smaller sample of 5% of your records via the "Use Small Batches" initially to confirm how long it takes specific to your particular Salesforce org configuration"
What does the Error code "Remote invocation failed, due to: status code:" mean?
We've seen this code appear when the connection between Apsona/Salesforce and your browser stops responding or crashes. This is a scenario when you may be exceeding your laptop & browser resources in performing the browser operation. We recommend doing a smaller search or selection of records to see if that's more successful.
In our testing, we have seen successful dedupe & merge operations for large data volumes that require up to 12 - 15 minute of browser run time before the operation completes. You'll need to vary your search criteria, merge criteria, Salesforce customizations, and computer processor capacity to find what fits best for your situation.
I see a spinner with no progress when it's running. Is there any other way to know what’s happening during the hours that this runs for?"
"Our recommendations for Dedupe & Match on larger volumes of records is to focus your computer's processor speed on this single task at hand. (i.e. close as many browser tabs and applications you have open that is tying up processor and memory resources).
Apsona operates within your Salesforce environment and executes all matching queries and merging operations from your browser. Most laptops in our testing provide that Dedupe & Match takes about 12-15 minutes to merge higher data volumes - generally around 1 million cells (Matched fields x Number of Records - i.e. 5 matched fields x 200K records = 1M cells)
What is your best practice when Deduping Large Data Volumes?
Our successful customers regularly cleaning large data volumes with Apsona Dedupe & Match have developed these best practices:
1. Document specific instructions to reduce or deactivate triggers, automations, roll up fields for your Org's configuration.
2. Proceed through Merge Actions - adjusting filter actions to reduce the number of evaluated cells to roughly 1M records.
3. While the Merge Action is running, take a break, grab a cup of coffee, or hang out and wait for up to 12-15 minutes (this is the top range of merge behavior - yours should take less).
3A. If your browser crashes, you see specific error codes, then you've reached the limit of your laptop/browser capacity to perform the current queries and merging operation.
4. Adjust the filters to increase/decrease the number of records in a merged set to fit your particular scenario.
5. After the Merge operation completes, Download the results file to confirm the outcome of the Merge execution. If you see any errors caused by "Remote Invocation failed" - this may be because of a break between the Apsona page operation and its internet connection - consider reducing your record size to successfully merge your next section."
Apsona's Merging Operation follows a number of Salesforce rules as it changes records.
There are specific scenarios noted here when a child record may not be able to be re-parented and needs to be deleted and recreated instead. More details here: https://apsona.com/pages/sfdc/doc/dedupe.html#api-usage
The normal behavior of merging operations is to place all deleted records in Recycle Bin.
I see a wheel that says WORKING that just runs and runs, but the batch never completes. How can I fix this?
Apsona operates within your browser, as an app in your Salesforce instance. Its execution is dependent on the amount of computer memory to perform an operation within that browser - specifically, as it searches each record in your filter criteria, each field you've selected to compare for Matches, and then returns all of those values for each field selected into the output grid.
If the demands on your computer memory are high, then as Apsona executes your Merge Action - it may time out if it exhausts the available computer memory to provide that function.
A few tips: Reduce # of open browser tabs, # of open applications, or free up more memory. When in doubt, log in to a different browser platform (Edge, Chrome, Safari, Firefox) and run the Dedupe Action there to note if the error re-occurs there.
Within Apsona - search for duplicates where you know you'll find them - use the Filter criteria in the first step to only search records that meet criteria relevant to your needs. (i.e. if you're matching on Contact. Mailing Street, then filter only Contact records where Mailing Street is not empty.)
Start small and build match by match. Generally utilizing loose criteria and several initial Match fields allows you to start with a broad set of potential matching groups. Using the tabs in Apsona to add and remove Additional fields to establish more specific Match criteria allows you to adjust your Merge Action until its adequately returning duplicates for which you are more confident.
Errors from Dedupes what do they mean?
As Apsona Dedupe & Match proceeds through the Merging process, the Salesforce operation happening in the background includes moving data from specific fields to the winning record fields and deleting losing child records (moving them to the Recycle Bin). Across the range of Salesforce objects and their behavior for merging, your Salesforce configuration may trigger error messages specific to your particular setup. Those are often the error messages noted in the Results download and at times, on screen during the Merge Process.
Additional information can be found in our Dedupe & Match documentation:
https://apsona.com/pages/sfdc/doc/dedupe.html#api-usage
Common Error messages returned by Apsona are included here:
Common Error Messages - Apsona