Most data mining models can be applied to separate data in a process known as scoring. Oracle Data Mining supports the scoring operation for classification, regression, anomaly detection, clustering, and feature extraction.
The scoring process matches column names in the scoring data with the names of the columns that were used to build the model. The scoring process does not require all the columns to be present in the scoring data. If the data types do not match, Oracle Data Mining attempts to perform type coercion. For example, if a column called PRODUCT_RATING is VARCHAR2 in the training data but NUMBER in the scoring data, Oracle Data Mining effectively applies a TO_CHAR() function to convert it.
The column in the test or scoring data must undergo the same transformations as the corresponding column in the build data. For example, if the AGE column in the build data was transformed from numbers to the values CHILD, ADULT, and SENIOR, then the AGE column in the scoring data must undergo the same transformation so that the model can properly evaluate it.
Note:
Oracle Data Mining can embed user-specified transformation instructions in the model and reapply them whenever the model is applied. When the transformation instructions are embedded in the model, you do not need to specify them for the test or scoring data sets.
Oracle Data Mining also supports Automatic Data Preparation (ADP). When ADP is enabled, the transformations required by the algorithm are performed automatically and embedded in the model along with any user-specified transformations.
Automatic and embedded data transformations are discussed in Transforming the Data.