Working with the PegaRULES database — Tables for rules

The pzInsKey value for rules is formed by concatenating the values of several properties:

• pxObjClass — The rule type, for example RULE-OBJ-PROPERTY or RULE-HTML-SECTION
• The value of each key part, from the properties listed in the Class rule for the rule type
• pxCreateDateTime — The creation date and time in internal format, preceded by a # character, for example #20050830T145617.018 GMT for August 30, 2005 at 14:56:17 Coordinated Universal time.

For example, the pzInsKey value for the standard property Work-.pyStatusWork is:

RULE-OBJ-PROPERTY WORK- PYSTATUSWORK #20040927T235233.165 GMT

The RuleSet and version are not part of this value. Rules of the same name (same visible key parts) in different RuleSets or versions have a different creation date and time.

The pr4_rule_property table contains property rules (Rule-Obj-Property rule type) and property qualifier rules (Rule-Obj-Property-Qualifier rule type).

For example, the pzInsKey value for the property PegaSample.pyDueBy is:

RULE-OBJ-PROPERTY PEGASAMPLE PYDUEBY #20040927T235125.886 GMT

The pr4_rule_flow table contains flow rules (Rule-Obj-Flow rule type).

For example, the pzInsKey value for the property Work-.StandardBasicWork is:

RULE-OBJ-FLOW WORK- STANDARDBASICWORK #20050922T182708.044 GMT

For each flow rule, the system saves a JPG image of the Visio diagram in a binary file rule (Rule-File-Binary rule type). The pyVisioRFB property holds the pzInsKey value of that binary file rule.

The pr4_fieldvalue table contains field value rules (Rule-Obj-FieldValue rule type). NOT pr4_rule_fieldvalue

For example, the field value rule Work-.pyStatusWork.New defines a value used in the Local List for the work object status property pyStatusWork. The pzInsKey is:

RULE-OBJ-FIELDVALUE WORK- PYSTATUSWORK!NEW #20040928T000337.867 GMT

Instances of four rule types are stored as rows of the pr4_rule_file table:

• Rule-File-Binary
• Rule-File-Bundle5.4
• Rule-File-Form
• Rule-File-Text
• Rule-File-eForm

For example, the binary file rule named webwb.image19.gif holds the Compuserve GIF file used on the standard log-on form. The pzInsKey value for the this rule is:

RULE-FILE-BINARY WEBWB IMAGE19!GIF #20040107T153125.857 GMT

For a binary file rule, the system converts the binary file (such as a JPG image or Windows DLL) to text characters using Base64 coding and stored within the pzPVStream column (Storage Stream, or BLOB). Similarly for an eForm file rule, a PDF file is stored within the pzPVStream column.

Instances of the Rule-Generated-Activity and Rule-System-Generated-Access classes contain system-generated information. These rule instances are stored as rows in the pr4_rule_sysgen table. IS THIS OBSOLETE?

Class rules (Rule-Obj-Class) are stored in the foundation table, pr4_base. See Table and Column Basics.

Rules of three rule types supporting the Automated Unit Testing facility (Rule-Autotest-) are stored in the pr4_rule_autotest table.

By default, rules of types other than those presented above are stored in the pr4_rule table.

If you create a custom rule type, also create a dedicated database table to hold the rules. This eliminates the risk that future Pegasystems upgrades to the standard database tables listed above may interfere with the exposed columns and other details needed by the custom rule type. See Pega Developer Network article PRKB-17585 Save custom rule types in a dedicated table in the PegaRULES database.

Rule resolution processing and reporting on rules depends on views and indexes as well as these tables.