Entity data sources

Create and store the data in Pega Platform, as shown in the following figure. This method works without additional configuration.

In the example, a Case in the application uses the Contact entity to store and retrieve contact data in the local data store, which is the system of record.

The logical Data Model shows that the entity is part of the Common-LDM-Entity Class and that the D_Contact Data Page connects to the local data store.. The system of record (SOR) is the database of the Pega application.

For the local storage option, review the following items before storing entity data:

• The default deployment model for core CRM entities is to import data into the physical storage of Pega Platform through a set of high-quality APIs and integration gateways. To import data, you use the Pega Platform APIs or Pega Business Intelligence Exchange™ (BIX).
• Pega Platform includes local physical storage for core CRM entities. The default integration connects to this physical store.
• Pega Platform abstracts the source of data as with any software integration, but Pega Platform always targets a known quantity that has known scalability, performance, messages, and error handling.

You want to store data locally in Pega Platform and update other systems and databases with changes, as in the following figure:

To set up this option, perform one of the following actions:

• Create a copy of your existing SOR data. You can bulk upload a copy of SOR data build using scheduled updates to Pega Platform from your master data management solution.
• To extract data to your master data management solution, use the Pega Platform APIs or BIX.

You can create a connection to an external SOR and integrate the data with your application through the Common Data Model, as in the following figure: 

In the example, a Case in the application uses the Contact entity to store and retrieve contact data in the external data store (the SOR).

The logical Data Model shows that the entity is part of the Common-LDM-Entity Class and that the D_Contact Data Page connects to the external data store by using a REST API. The SOR is the customer-maintained external database. The external database can be any Pega-supported databases.

With this storage method:

• The system does not store data in Pega Platform tables.
• You point Data Pages in Pega Platform to your APIs for all create, read, update, and delete (CRUD) actions. As a result, the system updates the data in your SOR. By using Data Pages and aggregate data sources, you can integrate your SOR and join with the data that is in Pega Platform.