Issue deploying using Package Manager that contains Synchronized Data Extensions

marketing-cloudpackage-manager

I'm trying to deploy a package that I created using Package Manager in marketing cloud. We have an Enterprise 2.0 account. The package was created in a child BU and is being deployed to a child BU.

I get to the step 3: Item Validation and Usage, and I get errors for the two synchronized data extensions included in the package. This is the error:

This synchronized data extension originates in my parent BU and is shared to this child business unit. When I navigate to Contact Builder > Data Extensions > Synchronized Data Extensions, I can see the relevant data extensions are there with the correct names.

Even though the error says to create them manually, I can't as I cannot create another DE with the same name. As a test, I tried deploying it into the same BU from where I created the package, and I still get the error.

The Marketing cloud help page says it just needs to find the referenced data extension for it to work.

A synchronized data extension must exist in the target business unit to deploy any item that references that data extension. If Marketing Cloud Package Manager finds the referenced data extension in the target business unit, it deploys the items referencing the data extension. Otherwise, the deployment fails.

The only thing I can think of is that the SQL Query activities in the package the reference the synchronized data extensions actually use ENT.Contact_Salesforce, which I guess is technically referencing the Parent BU.

Anyone come across this before and know how to get the deployment to work?

Best Answer

After some back and forth with support, we figured it out.

When deploying a package, you have the option to rename components. They simply had me rename the synchronised data extensions to prepend "ENT." and then select "Use currently installed item" from the Action dropdown.

Didn't figure out why exactly that needs to be done but it works.

Related Solutions

[SalesForce] How to access shared data extensions with FuelSDK

I have figured out how to do this. In the current version of the FuelSDK for PHP you cannot directly list shared data extensions, what you have to do is to get all the folders that are of ContentType shared_dataextension and then retrieve the data extensions within those folders by setting a filter.

The solution I have settled on is to get all of the shared_dataextension folders and put their IDs into an array. Then I get all of the data extensions whose CategoryID (the folder id) is in that list of shared data extension folders by using a simple filter with an IN operator.

Note: in order to see/access the shared items you need to be using a set of OAuth credentials that are associated to the parent business unit. Credentials that are associated with child business units cannot see shared items. This means that if you need to work with both shared items and non-shared items in child business units you will have to juggle multiple sets of credentials.

Sample code:

<?php
require('sdk/ET_Client.php');
try {
    $myclient = new ET_Client();

    // Retrieve All Folders with GetMoreResults
    print "Retrieve shared data extension folders and the data extensions inside of them. \n";
    $getFolder = new ET_Folder();
    $getFolder->authStub = $myclient;
    $getFolder->props = array("ID", "Client.ID", "ParentFolder.ID", "ParentFolder.CustomerKey", "ParentFolder.ObjectID", "ParentFolder.Name", "ParentFolder.Description", "ParentFolder.ContentType", "ParentFolder.IsActive", "ParentFolder.IsEditable", "ParentFolder.AllowChildren", "Name", "Description", "ContentType", "IsActive", "IsEditable", "AllowChildren", "CreatedDate", "ModifiedDate", "Client.ModifiedBy", "ObjectID", "CustomerKey", "Client.EnterpriseID", "Client.CreatedBy");
    $getFolder->filter = array('Property' => 'ContentType','SimpleOperator' => 'equals','Value' => "shared_dataextension");
    $getResponse = $getFolder->get();
    $folders = array();
    foreach($getResponse->results as $r)
    {
        if(!in_array($r->ID, $folders, true)) {
            $folders[] = $r->ID;
        }
    }
    while($getResponse->moreResults)
    {
        $getResponse = $getFolder->GetMoreResults();
        foreach($getResponse->results as $r)
        {
            if(!in_array($r->ID, $folders, true)) {
                $folders[] = $r->ID;
            }
        }
    }

    print "<hr/>Folders:</br/><pre>";
    print_r($folders);
    print "</pre><hr/>";
    $des = array();
    $getDE = new ET_DataExtension();
    $getDE->authStub = $myclient;
    $getDE->props = array("CustomerKey", "Name", "CategoryID");
    $getDE->filter = array('Property' => 'CategoryID','SimpleOperator' => 'IN','Value' => $folders);
    $getResult = $getDE->get();
    $des[] = $getResult->results;
    while($getResult->moreResults) {
        $getResult = $getDE->getMoreResults();
        $des[] = $getResult->results;
    }
    print 'Data Extensions: '."\n";
    print "<pre>";
    print_r($des);
    print "</pre>";


}
catch (Exception $e) {
    echo 'Caught exception: ',  $e->getMessage(), "\n";
}

?>

[SalesForce] Synchronized Data Extensions

Try the following SQL query to copy data from a Salesforce Synchronised Data Extension to a regular Data Extension.

Following example is based on the Account object.

SELECT *
FROM Account_Salesforce

However if you are doing this from a child business unit, you'll need to add .ent prefix.

SELECT *
FROM ent.[Account_Salesforce]

You can follow these steps to set it all up:

Create a new Data Extension with same field set.
In Automation Studio create new SQL Query Activity.
Write the query and select the newly created Data Extension as the target.
Check syntax / Save.
Test it. If all works, then schedule the Automation to run by some period of time, like once in an hour or day.

Best Answer

Related Solutions

[SalesForce] How to access shared data extensions with FuelSDK

[SalesForce] Synchronized Data Extensions

Related Topic