Ratchet-X is an innovative technology that allows people to transform existing Windows and browser-based applications into mashups. I’m often asked by customers, when data from these external sources is mashed in, should it be replicated in that application’s storage of record? The answer is…it all depends. If you are querying external sources for the purposes of compiling a composite view of an “entity” to make a decision, the answer is probably not. However, if you're querying the external sources as part of a data entry task where the acquired information needs to become part of the software you’re using, the answer is unequivocally, yes.
Here are some simple guidelines we use when advising customers regarding the “originate or replicate” issue. Replicating external data is recommended when any combination of the following conditions is true:
1) The performance (speed and availability), of the external sources is unreliable – get the data while you can.
2) The data acquired needs to be part of the system to support backend reporting functions. Downstream functions such as reporting will not have access to the data you’ve mashed in through Ratchet-X unless you replicate the data.
3) The source data is not prone to frequent change.
4) There is a “per access” fee to access the data at the source. However, if the data is subject to frequent change (like a stock price), you may be forced to absorb the fee in exchange for timeliness.
Conversely, if these conditions do not apply, then we encourage you to access the data from the source on demand.
