How ordered execution works

Match methods run independently and in parallel by default. A prerequisite relationship creates an ordered chain between selected methods. Each prerequisite connects an upstream match method to a downstream match method and defines the downstream behavior based on the upstream result. For each candidate profile pair:

• The prerequisite method evaluates the pair first.

• If the pair meets the prerequisite condition, the dependent method evaluates the pair. If you configure the prerequisite to skip, the dependent method skips the pair instead.

• If the pair does not meet the prerequisite condition, the dependent method skips the pair. If you configure the prerequisite to skip, the dependent method evaluates the pair instead.

Prerequisites add an AND relationship between the connected methods. A pair produces a match result from the chain only when it satisfies every method that still applies to it. A skipped method contributes nothing to the result.

Reltio Flexible Entity Resolution Network (FERN)™ can participate as either an upstream or downstream match method.

FERN before a confirmation rule

FERN scores candidate pairs using its pretrained matching model. A downstream rule then evaluates tenant-specific attributes before applying its match action.

Matches identified by FERN remain displayed as FERN matches. The confirmation rule provides an additional evaluation and doesn't remove the FERN match result.

Use this pattern when the final decision depends on tenant-specific attributes that FERN doesn't evaluate, such as a department identifier, classification, specialty, or risk code, or on a business condition such as whether the profiles come from the same source system.

Match actions

A prerequisite controls whether the dependent match method runs. It does not directly merge profiles or create potential matches.

The dependent match method determines the action for each pair that it evaluates.. Depending on its configuration, the method can:

• Merge the profiles automatically.
• Add the pair to the potential-match queue.

Relationship to the FERN model

Ordered execution does not modify or retrain the FERN model. ERN continues to evaluate only the attributes that its pretrained match package references.

Configured match rules provide additional conditions before or after FERN evaluation. Configured match rules can run before or after FERN, allowing FERN to score candidate pairs using attributes referenced by its pretrained match package while the rules apply tenant-specific business requirements.

When to use ordered execution

Use ordered match method execution when:

• A match method should run only on pairs that another match method has already scored.
• A domain-specific rule must confirm a pair that FERN has already scored.
• A deterministic condition should restrict the pairs that FERN evaluates.
• A match method should be skipped when another match method has already matched the pair.
• A matching strategy requires an explicit dependency between methods.

You configure ordered execution by adding thematchPrerequisiteselement to a match group through the Configuration API. The Data Modeler match rule editor doesn't support this configuration.