Updating Static Address Data
Remote Sampler has an address table that holds a comprehensive list of potential address information for use in generating alternative addresses when performing samples from customer address. This address data needs to be refreshed periodically (usually once per year) to ensure that it stays current. This section explains the steps required to update the address data on a Remote Sampler system.
Support
This is a periodic process and currently does not have a simple non-technical solution. If you are unsure about any of the steps described below, please contact a member of the Support Team for assistance.
Source Data
Address data may be held in one or more systems. To upload this data into Remote Sampler, it should be extracted into a tab-separated variable file.
Warning
Please ensure that the file is not comma-separated. Address data cannot be correctly extracted from CSV files since addresses themselves contain commas.
The Addresses table in Remote Sampler has fields to contain the following data if available.
The fields below are mandatory and should be included in the source data extract file. Order of the fields in the field is unimportant.
| Mandatory Address Fields |
|---|
| StreetPart |
| Street |
| City |
| PostCode |
| GridEast |
| GridNorth |
| Zone |
Clearing Existing Data
If the address table has been used before, it will already contain a large amount of data. This should be cleared first by running the query below against the Remote Sampler database.
Warning
Before making any changes to a production database, ensure that data has been backed up.
The Update Script
Address data is loaded into the address table by running a Powershell import script. A member of the Support Team will create a suitable script for your system during the initial implementation phase of the project.
If the import script has been moved, the source data file has been moved or any of the database connection information has changed, the file will need to be edited. Open the file and edit the variables section at the top of the file (shown below).
In the case of the file above, we are using the tilda character '~' to separate the fields in the source data file rather than the tab character.
Once the file has been amended correctly, execute the script. It may take 15-30 minutes to complete the import depending on the number of address rows in the source data.