SITECORE XConnect CUSTOM FACET (PART 1) : CREATE CUSTOM FACET IN SITECORE 9

Sitecore XConnect provides some default collection models to save user data like Personal Information, Email, addresses, etc. 

• The complete list you can find in an assembly named Sitecore.XConnect.Collection.Model.dll.

• Sometimes as per our business requirement, we need to add some additional information to the collection model with the respective user. 
  
  
• In this blog, I will explain how to create a user custom facet model and register it to the Sitecore XDB collection model. You need to perform the below steps to achieve this:

Step 1: Create a Custom Facet Model

using Sitecore.XConnect;
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using System.Threading.Tasks;
 
// install Sitecore.XConnect nuget package.
 
namespace MA.CustomFacets.Model
{
    [Serializable]
    [FacetKey(DefaultFacetKey)]
    public class CustomerStatus : Facet
    {
        public string Status { get; set; }
        public const string DefaultFacetKey = "CustomerStatus";
    }
}

• Here DefaultFacetKey is the facet key name. You can get custom facet values using this key from XDB.

Step 2: Register the Custom Facet Model

• After the creation of the Custom Facet Model, you need to register it to Sitecore.XConnect.Schema using XdbModelBuilder as below:

using Sitecore.XConnect;
using Sitecore.XConnect.Schema;
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using System.Threading.Tasks;
 
// install Sitecore.XConnect.Collection.Model nuget package.
 
namespace MA.CustomFacets.Model
{
    public static class CustomerCollectionModel
    {
        public static XdbModel Model { get; } = CreateModel();
 
        private static XdbModel CreateModel()
        {
 
            XdbModelBuilder builder = new XdbModelBuilder("CustomFacets.Xconnect.CustomerCollectionModel", new XdbModelVersion(1, 0));
            builder.ReferenceModel(Sitecore.XConnect.Collection.Model.CollectionModel.Model);
            builder.DefineFacet<Contact, CustomerStatus>(CustomerStatus.DefaultFacetKey);
            return builder.BuildModel();
        }
    }
}

• You can define multiple facets into the same object. Do remember the file name must match the name declared in the model class.

Step 3: Deploy custom Facet model to XDB

• To Deploy the custom facet model to XDB you need to serialize the collection model in which you defined your custom facet model. 
  
  
• To serialize into JSON prefer Console application to generate the JSON file.

using MA.CustomFacets.Model;
using System;
using System.IO;
// install Sitecore.XConnect nuget package
// add reference to MA.CustomFacets project
 
namespace MA.CustomFacets.GenerateModel
{
    class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            var model = Sitecore.XConnect.Serialization.XdbModelWriter.Serialize(CustomerCollectionModel.Model);
            File.WriteAllText(CustomerCollectionModel.Model.FullName + ".json", model);
            Console.WriteLine("Completed");
            Console.Read();
        }
    }
}

• On execution of the console application, it will generate a JSON file. Copy that JSON file and paste at the below places:

• x-connect root path > App_data/Models
• x-connect root path > App_data/jobs/continuous/IndexWorker/App_data/Models

Also, deploy your Custom facet class project DLL at the following places:

• <x-connect root path>\App_data\jobs\continuous\AutomationEngine\
• <x-connect root path>\App_data\jobs\continuous\IndexWorker\
• <x-connect root path>\bin
• <Instance_Name>.sc\bin
  
  

Step 4: Add Custom Facet Model to Configuration

• Once you deploy a custom facet model you need to add or create a patch file for the custom model to the Sitecore.XConnect.Client.Configuration as below:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<configuration xmlns:patch="http://www.sitecore.net/xmlconfig/" xmlns:set="http://www.sitecore.net/xmlconfig/set/">
  <sitecore>
    <xconnect>
      <runtime type="Sitecore.XConnect.Client.Configuration.RuntimeModelConfiguration,Sitecore.XConnect.Client.Configuration">
        <schemas hint="list:AddModelConfiguration">
          <schema name="CustomCollectionModel" type="Sitecore.XConnect.Client.Configuration.StaticModelConfiguration,Sitecore.XConnect.Client.Configuration" patch:after="schema[@name='collectionmodel']">
            <param desc="modeltype">MA.CustomFacets.Model.CustomerCollectionModel, MA.CustomFacets</param>
          </schema>
        </schemas>
      </runtime>
    </xconnect>
  </sitecore>
</configuration>

Step 5: Deploy the model to the Marketing Automation Engine: 

• Create a configuration file named sc.Demo.CustomModel.xml in 

<XConnectRootPath>\App_Data\jobs\continuous\AutomationEngine\App_Data\Config\sitecore\MarketingAutomation_patch The file name must start with sc. and end with .XML. 

Paste the following model configuration and make the following changes:

<Settings>

  <Sitecore>

    <XConnect>

      <Services>

        <XConnect.Client.Configuration>

          <Options>

            <Models>

              <CustomCollectionModel>

                <TypeName>MA.CustomFacets.Model.CustomerCollectionModel, MA.CustomFacets</TypeName>

              </CustomCollectionModel>

            </Models>

          </Options>

        </XConnect.Client.Configuration>

      </Services>

    </XConnect>

  </Sitecore>

</Settings>


Note: You’d need to create a new folder named MarketingAutomation_patch under AutomationEngine\App_Data\Config\sitecore to store all the patch files under one folder.


At this path :<XConnectRootPath>\App_Data\jobs\continuous\AutomationEngine\App_Data\Config\sitecore\MarketingAutomation_patch, 




• Create the sc.MarketingAutomation.ContactLoader.xml and register the custom facet default key. (if this file is not already there, create one)

<Settings>

  <!--

    Marketing Automation contact loader configuration

-->

  <Sitecore>

    <XConnect>

      <MarketingAutomation>

        <Engine>

          <Services>

            <MarketingAutomation.Loading.ContactFacetsConfigurator>

              <Options>

                <IncludeFacetNames>

                  <PhoneNumbers>PhoneNumbers</PhoneNumbers>

                  <CustomerStatus>CustomerStatus</CustomerStatus>

                </IncludeFacetNames>

              </Options>

            </MarketingAutomation.Loading.ContactFacetsConfigurator>

          </Services>

        </Engine>

      </MarketingAutomation>

    </XConnect>

  </Sitecore>

</Settings>

• Now your Custom facet is ready for use.