Dependency analysis
Dependency analysis is a mechanism that enables you to identify the relationships between the various elements of your environment.
For example, you can easily determine which dashboard pages use a chart, or identify all the charts that use a particular format.
Dependency analysis
When the tool is opened, the analysis runs automatically.
The dependency analysis scans all DigDash elements, starting with roles. The more elements there are (Flows, data models, dimensions, measures, etc.), the longer the analysis may take.
If you are using a WLNK file server, all files on the server are analysed. If the server contains a very large number of elements, the analysis time may increase considerably.
Once the analysis is complete, your entire environment is mapped out and you will be able to analyse categories of elements or specific elements.
For example, to find out whether a format is being used, and by whom, apply the following filter:
- In the Filters section, open the ‘Focus on ’ drop-down menu to select ‘Format’:
- Then, in the Display section, change the display order from ‘contains ’ to ‘used by':
This way, the view displays all formats, and by expanding the ‘Formats’ items, you can see where they are used:
In the screenshot above, the Euro format is used by 11 charts in the Retail role.
This allows you to identify precisely how all the elements in your environment are used.
The ‘Backup’ button takes you to the page for backing up your data. See the page Backup and Restore page for further details.
Relationships between resources
Please note that some links between resources are not immediately obvious.
It is important to bear in mind both directions: ‘contains’ and ‘is contained in’.
Flow (chart)
A flow can be used in at least two different ways:
- because it is used within a dashboard page
- because it contains a device, such as an email
So, by using the “used” filter in “is contained in” mode, you can see charts that are not on any dashboard page, nor in any document builder. And yet they are identified as “used” because they contain a link to a device (document server, email, FTP, etc.).
Measure and dimension
Measures and dimensions can be used in a wide variety of contexts (non-exhaustive list):
- chart
- interaction
- hierarchy
- formatting
- objective
However, a measure may also be used in none of these elements, and serve only to calculate another measure.
Other uses of dependency analysis
Studio: confirmation of actions
In your day-to-day use of Studio, you will need to delete elements that may be used simultaneously in very different contexts, and potentially as a result of actions taken by other users.
Thanks to dependency analysis, you will be notified of the use of the elements you wish to delete:
In the example above, 3 formats are to be deleted, but the confirmation window indicates that two of them are currently in use: Euro, Nbr. abbrev..
Studio: on-demand analysis
Still within Studio, you are not obliged to use the Dependency Analysis manager as your starting point.
For example, by right-clicking on a chart, you can see at a glance where they are used:
The manager opens. The view is already filtered to show the selected chart and is in ‘is contained in’ mode.
You can then see at a glance that the chart appears on a dashboard page:
The same principle applies to data models, formats, document servers and all elements of your environment.
Saving
The dependency analysis mechanism is also used transparently during saving:
you can select just one chart and all the elements on which it depends will be included in the restore archive (formats, colours, scripts, etc.).
In the screenshot below, a single chart has been selected (by clicking on the numbers to the right of the tick box in the Wallet column):
In the options available via the Options button at the top right of the page, you must tick the first box before downloading:
See the page Backup and Restore for further details.
Data Catalog
The dependency analysis manager allows you to query a specific element on an ad hoc basis, but you can also generate reports. This enables you to analyse or document entire sections of your environment in the form of tables or graphs, and even use a document builder.
To do this, you can use data sources of the ‘Data Catalog’ type. See the page Connecting to the Data Catalog for further details.
In the example above, we are creating a three-column data source: Flow, Dashboard Page, Role.
This enables you to create charts showing the links between flows and dashboard pages by role.
Another type of source, more focused on “documentation”, could present measures and data sources by role.
By ticking the “Description” box for the Measures and Data Sources columns, you can then create tables explaining the purpose of each metric. As the tables can be filtered by role and data source within the dashboard, navigating this new, customised knowledge base is made easier.