diff --git a/src/blackmisc/simulation/distributor.cpp b/src/blackmisc/simulation/distributor.cpp
index efe0f9bd8..3de141cd0 100644
--- a/src/blackmisc/simulation/distributor.cpp
+++ b/src/blackmisc/simulation/distributor.cpp
@@ -16,12 +16,24 @@ namespace BlackMisc
     {
         CDistributor::CDistributor() { }
 
+        CDistributor::CDistributor(const QString &id)
+        {
+            this->setDbKey(id);
+        }
+
         CDistributor::CDistributor(const QString &id, const QString &description, const QString &alias1, const QString &alias2) :
             m_description(description), m_alias1(alias1.trimmed().toUpper()), m_alias2(alias2.trimmed().toUpper())
         {
             this->setDbKey(id);
         }
 
+        bool CDistributor::matchesIdOrAlias(const QString &idOrAlias) const
+        {
+            QString s(idOrAlias.trimmed().toUpper());
+            if (s.isEmpty()) { return false; }
+            return (getId() == s || getAlias1() == s || getAlias2() == s);
+        }
+
         CVariant CDistributor::propertyByIndex(const CPropertyIndex &index) const
         {
             if (index.isMyself()) { return CVariant::from(*this); }
@@ -73,20 +85,36 @@ namespace BlackMisc
             return !this->m_description.isEmpty() && !this->m_dbKey.isEmpty();
         }
 
-        CDistributor CDistributor::fromDatabaseJson(const QJsonObject &json)
+        CStatusMessageList CDistributor::validate() const
         {
-            QJsonArray inner = json["cell"].toArray();
-            Q_ASSERT_X(!inner.isEmpty(), Q_FUNC_INFO, "Missing JSON");
-            if (inner.isEmpty()) { return CDistributor(); }
+            static const CLogCategoryList cats( { CLogCategory(this->getClassName()), CLogCategory::validation()});
+            CStatusMessageList msgs;
+            if (!hasValidDbKey()) { msgs.push_back(CStatusMessage(cats, CStatusMessage::SeverityError, "Distributor: missing id")); }
+            if (!hasDescription()) { msgs.push_back(CStatusMessage(cats, CStatusMessage::SeverityWarning, "Distributor: missing description")); }
+            return msgs;
+        }
 
-            int i = 0;
-            QString dbKey(inner.at(i++).toString());
-            QString description(inner.at(i++).toString());
-            QString alias1(inner.at(i++).toString());
-            QString alias2(inner.at(i++).toString());
-            Q_ASSERT_X(!dbKey.isEmpty(), Q_FUNC_INFO, "Missing key");
+        void CDistributor::updateMissingParts(const CDistributor &otherDistributor)
+        {
+            if (!this->hasAlias1()) { this->setAlias1(otherDistributor.getAlias1()); }
+            if (!this->hasAlias2()) { this->setAlias1(otherDistributor.getAlias2()); }
+            if (!this->hasDescription()) { this->setDescription(otherDistributor.getDescription()); }
+        }
+
+        CDistributor CDistributor::fromDatabaseJson(const QJsonObject &json, const QString &prefix)
+        {
+            if (!existsKey(json, prefix))
+            {
+                // when using relationship, this can be null
+                return CDistributor();
+            }
+
+            QString description(json.value(prefix + "description").toString());
+            QString alias1(json.value(prefix + "alias1").toString());
+            QString alias2(json.value(prefix + "alias2").toString());
             Q_ASSERT_X(!description.isEmpty(), Q_FUNC_INFO, "Missing description");
-            CDistributor distributor(dbKey, description, alias1, alias2);
+            CDistributor distributor("", description, alias1, alias2);
+            distributor.setKeyAndTimestampFromDatabaseJson(json, prefix);
             return distributor;
         }
 
diff --git a/src/blackmisc/simulation/distributor.h b/src/blackmisc/simulation/distributor.h
index 05252b3b3..80fbbfa17 100644
--- a/src/blackmisc/simulation/distributor.h
+++ b/src/blackmisc/simulation/distributor.h
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 #include "blackmisc/blackmiscexport.h"
 #include "blackmisc/valueobject.h"
 #include "blackmisc/datastore.h"
+#include "blackmisc/statusmessagelist.h"
 #include <QJsonObject>
 
 namespace BlackMisc
@@ -38,6 +39,9 @@ namespace BlackMisc
             //! Default constructor.
             CDistributor();
 
+            //! Constructor
+            CDistributor(const QString &id);
+
             //! Constructor
             CDistributor(const QString &id, const QString &description, const QString &alias1, const QString &alias2);
 
@@ -47,6 +51,12 @@ namespace BlackMisc
             //! Get description
             const QString &getDescription() const { return this->m_description;}
 
+            //! Set description
+            void setDescription(const QString &description) { this->m_description = description.trimmed(); }
+
+            //! Has description
+            bool hasDescription() const { return !this->m_description.isEmpty(); }
+
             //! Get alias1
             const QString &getAlias1() const { return this->m_alias1;}
 
@@ -65,6 +75,9 @@ namespace BlackMisc
             //! Alias 2?
             bool hasAlias2() const { return !this->m_alias2.isEmpty(); }
 
+            //! Matches id or alias
+            bool matchesIdOrAlias(const QString &idOrAlias) const;
+
             //! \copydoc CValueObject::propertyByIndex
             CVariant propertyByIndex(const BlackMisc::CPropertyIndex &index) const;
 
@@ -77,8 +90,14 @@ namespace BlackMisc
             //! Complete data?
             bool hasCompleteData() const;
 
+            //! Validate data
+            BlackMisc::CStatusMessageList validate() const;
+
+            //! Update missing parts
+            void updateMissingParts(const CDistributor &otherDistributor);
+
             //! Object from JSON
-            static CDistributor fromDatabaseJson(const QJsonObject &json);
+            static CDistributor fromDatabaseJson(const QJsonObject &json, const QString &prefix = QString());
 
         private:
             BLACK_ENABLE_TUPLE_CONVERSION(CDistributor)
@@ -93,6 +112,7 @@ namespace BlackMisc
 Q_DECLARE_METATYPE(BlackMisc::Simulation::CDistributor)
 BLACK_DECLARE_TUPLE_CONVERSION(BlackMisc::Simulation::CDistributor, (
                                    attr(o.m_dbKey, flags <CaseInsensitiveComparison> ()),
+                                   attr(o.m_timestampMSecsSinceEpoch),
                                    attr(o.m_description),
                                    attr(o.m_alias1, flags <CaseInsensitiveComparison> ()),
                                    attr(o.m_alias2, flags <CaseInsensitiveComparison> ())
diff --git a/src/blackmisc/simulation/distributorlist.cpp b/src/blackmisc/simulation/distributorlist.cpp
index 820e3b6f0..5e6835a7b 100644
--- a/src/blackmisc/simulation/distributorlist.cpp
+++ b/src/blackmisc/simulation/distributorlist.cpp
@@ -20,5 +20,15 @@ namespace BlackMisc
             CSequence<CDistributor>(other)
         { }
 
+        CDistributor CDistributorList::findByIdOrAlias(const QString &idOrAlias)
+        {
+            if (idOrAlias.isEmpty()) { return CDistributor(); }
+            for (const CDistributor &distributor : (*this))
+            {
+                if (distributor.matchesIdOrAlias(idOrAlias)) { return distributor; }
+            }
+            return CDistributor();
+        }
+
     } // namespace
 } // namespace
diff --git a/src/blackmisc/simulation/distributorlist.h b/src/blackmisc/simulation/distributorlist.h
index 59d746477..1c6546d98 100644
--- a/src/blackmisc/simulation/distributorlist.h
+++ b/src/blackmisc/simulation/distributorlist.h
@@ -39,6 +39,10 @@ namespace BlackMisc
 
             //! Construct from a base class object.
             CDistributorList(const CSequence<CDistributor> &other);
+
+            //! Find by id or alias
+            CDistributor findByIdOrAlias(const QString &name);
+
         };
     } //namespace
 } // namespace