Enable Delete Detection
Determines if BimlFlex applies a separate key load pattern that enables detection of hard deletes in the source.
What This Does
When enabled, BimlFlex generates an additional pipeline step that compares the full set of keys from the source against the keys already loaded. Any key present in the target but absent from the source is flagged as a delete. This requires a full key extract from the source on each load cycle.
When to Enable
Enable delete detection when:
- Your source system performs hard deletes (rows are physically removed, not soft-deleted with a flag)
- You need to track which records have been removed from the source for audit or compliance purposes
- Your Data Vault satellites need to record delete events
Do not enable when:
- The source system uses soft deletes (a
IsDeletedorDeletedDatecolumn) — handle these with column mappings instead - You are doing initial loads only
- The performance cost of a full key comparison is unacceptable for your data volumes
How the Three Settings Work Together
| Setting | Purpose | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Delete Detection Enabled (this setting) | Master switch — enables the key comparison pattern | N |
| Delete Detection Apply DV | When Y, applies delete records to Data Vault satellites | N |
| Delete Detection Apply PSA | When Y, applies delete records to the Persistent Staging Area | N |
All three must be configured intentionally:
- Setting
DeleteDetectionEnabled = Yalone generates the key comparison but does not propagate deletes anywhere - You must also enable at least one of
DeleteDetectionApplyDvorDeleteDetectionApplyPsafor the detection to have effect - Enabling both propagates delete records to both layers
Notes
- This setting is part of the Delete Detection settings category.
- The default value for this setting is
N.