How to Configure the Data Loading (RDBMS) Activity in Adobe Campaign Classic
Adobe Campaign Classic’s Data loading (RDBMS) activity loads data from a relational database through an external database connection and passes the selected result to the workflow. Configure the Data loading (RDBMS) activity when a workflow needs to retrieve database data before later processing.
What the Activity Does
The activity is a database loading step. It retrieves the fields and rows defined in its database query configuration and makes that result available to the following workflow activities.
Loading data is separate from changing Campaign data. When the loaded rows must update Campaign records, add a separate write operation after the load, such as the Update data activity.
Configure the Database Load
Add the activity and select the connection
Add Data loading (RDBMS) to the workflow, then open its properties. Select the external account that identifies the database connection used by the activity.
The external account must be configured before the workflow can load data from that database.
Define the data to retrieve
Use the activity’s query definition to select the source data required by the workflow. Include the fields that later workflow steps need to identify, filter, or process the loaded rows.
Keep the selected data limited to the current workflow requirement. For example, an order-processing workflow might retrieve an order identifier, a customer identifier, an order status, and an order date rather than every available source field.
Apply conditions in the query definition when the workflow should retrieve only a subset of source rows. Confirm that the selected fields and conditions match the available database objects and values.
Connect the output transition
Save the configuration and connect the activity’s output transition to the next workflow step. Review the output fields before configuring later activities so that their expressions and mappings use fields returned by the database load.
Processing Loaded Data
The result of the RDBMS load is workflow data, not a record update by itself. Select the next activity based on the operation required after retrieval.
Illustrative workflow pattern:
Scheduler
-> Data loading (RDBMS)
-> downstream processing
-> Update dataFor example, a workflow can retrieve pending order rows, process the returned identifiers and statuses, then use a separately configured update operation when Campaign data must change. The update operation requires its own target and mapping configuration.
Checks When the Load Does Not Return the Expected Data
Review the external account and the query definition first.
Check that:
- The selected external account points to the intended database connection.
- The selected source objects and fields still exist.
- The query conditions match source values.
- All fields required by downstream workflow activities are included in the load.
An empty result requires a review of the query conditions and source data. A missing downstream field requires a review of the fields selected in the RDBMS activity.
Implementation Boundaries
Use Data loading (RDBMS) for relational-database retrieval. Configure subsequent workflow activities separately for any processing or data-update operation that follows the load.
When the source structure or query definition changes, review the downstream activities that rely on the loaded fields.
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