Project resource allocation database constraints conflict when assigning resources

ERP Infor CloudSuite
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1

We’re running into database constraint conflicts when trying to assign resources to multiple projects with overlapping timeframes. Our resource allocation table has conditional unique constraints that should prevent double-booking, but we’re getting constraint violations even when the time periods don’t actually overlap.

The constraints are supposed to implement resource allocation rules that check for time-based conflicts, but it seems the database-level validation isn’t handling partial overlaps correctly. Here’s the constraint definition:

ALTER TABLE resource_allocation
ADD CONSTRAINT uk_resource_time UNIQUE (resource_id, project_id, allocation_date);

This prevents the same resource from being allocated to the same project on the same date, but it doesn’t catch conflicts where a resource is assigned to different projects during overlapping periods. We need time-based conflict detection that works across different project assignments.

Should we be handling this with application-level validation instead? How do others implement resource allocation rules that prevent scheduling conflicts in CloudSuite project management?

2

Database constraints have limitations for complex temporal logic. We moved our conflict detection to the application layer using a validation service that queries existing allocations before inserting new ones. The service checks if the proposed allocation overlaps with any existing assignments for that resource, considering both start and end dates. This gives you more flexibility for business rules like allowing partial overlaps if total allocation doesn’t exceed 100%.

3

Check if CloudSuite has built-in resource conflict APIs through ION. Many modules have conflict detection services that you should leverage rather than building from scratch. These often handle edge cases that custom implementations miss.

4

Consider using exclusion constraints if your database supports them. They can enforce that no two allocations for the same resource have overlapping time ranges. However, these can be performance-intensive on large tables.