// the input is as it is
this.inputs[inputNum] = this.inputIterators[inputNum];
break;
case SORT:
@SuppressWarnings({ "rawtypes", "unchecked" })
UnilateralSortMerger<?> sorter = new UnilateralSortMerger(getMemoryManager(), getIOManager(),
this.inputIterators[inputNum], this, this.inputSerializers[inputNum], getLocalStrategyComparator(inputNum),
this.config.getRelativeMemoryInput(inputNum), this.config.getFilehandlesInput(inputNum),
this.config.getSpillingThresholdInput(inputNum));
// set the input to null such that it will be lazily fetched from the input strategy
this.inputs[inputNum] = null;