The Analytics page in Structured is your central hub for monitoring the health, activity, and changes across your business data environment. It provides a comprehensive view of your connected data sources, business objects, definitions, and metrics, helping you stay on top of changes, track historical trends, and set up alerts for breaking issues. In this section, we’ll dive into how to use the dashboard to track key metrics, monitor changes, and configure alerts to keep your data environment in check.

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Understanding the Analytics Dashboard

The Analytics page in Structured gives you a high-level overview of your entire data landscape. It’s a real-time window into how your data environment is evolving, including the state of your connections, data definitions, changes over time, and potential issues. Whether you’re a data engineer or a business user, the dashboard ensures you always know what’s happening behind the scenes.

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Overview of the Metrics Tracked in the Dashboard

Here’s a breakdown of the core metrics tracked in the dashboard:

  • Connected Data Sources: The number and status of all the data sources that are currently connected to Structured, such as BigQuery, Postgres, and Snowflake.
  • Definitions and Business Objects: A count of table definitions, model definitions, and business objects that have been synced and documented, helping you track documentation coverage.
  • Change History: A log of recent changes in your data environment, including updates to data definitions, modifications to business objects, and structural changes in data models.
  • Tickets and Alerts: Open tickets (created by StructuredBot or users) and active alerts for issues like schema changes or breaking errors.

These metrics are presented in a clear, visual format, helping you get an at-a-glance snapshot of your data landscape.

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How to Interpret Data Source Connections, Definitions, Changes, and More

  • Data Source Connections: Shows the status of your connected data sources, with a status indicator (e.g., healthy, at risk, or disconnected). You can click into any source for details such as the number of tables and any connectivity issues.

  • Definitions and Business Objects: Displays the number of documented data definitions and business objects. A drop in documented definitions could signal new tables added without proper documentation.

  • Change Logs: Shows a timeline of updates like:

    • Modifications to data definitions (e.g., changing column types or renaming tables)
    • Updates to business objects
    • Version changes to metrics

  • Tickets and Alerts: Displays unresolved tickets or active alerts for immediate action, such as breaking changes or schema errors.

Tracking these metrics helps you stay informed about changes and potential issues in your data stack, ensuring a well-documented and stable environment.

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Tracking Definitions and Changes Over Time

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Monitoring Definition Changes and Alerts

Data environments are dynamic, and it’s critical to stay on top of changes to your data definitions and models. Structured’s dashboard automatically tracks and logs updates to definitions—whether it’s a new column, a modified business object, or a metric update.

Here’s how to monitor changes:

1

View Recent Changes

On the dashboard, you’ll see a list of recent changes in your environment. Filter changes by data source, date, or type (e.g., schema update, metadata change).

2

Set up Notifications

Structured can notify you of specific changes through the dashboard or Slack. For instance, if a column definition changes in a critical table, you’ll receive an alert.

3

Drill Down into Specific Changes

Click on any change in the log to see exactly what was modified, who made the change, and when it was applied.

Tracking changes over time helps you maintain data consistency and ensures that any shifts in your data structure are documented and communicated to relevant stakeholders.

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Viewing Historical Data About Connected Sources and Metrics

One of the key features of Structured’s Analytics page is the ability to view historical data about your connected data sources and metrics. This helps you spot trends, track growth, or identify recurring issues over time.

  • Select a Time Range: At the top of the dashboard, select a custom time range (e.g., last 7 days, last month, or last year) to view historical trends for data sources, definitions, and metrics.
  • Track Growth or Decline: View trends in connected sources, documented definitions, and tracked metrics. For example, a drop in definitions after a data migration may indicate missed tables.
  • Investigate Anomalies: If you see a sudden spike in changes or alerts, drill down to see the cause—such as a major update or a connectivity issue with a data source.

Historical data provides long-term insights into the health and stability of your data environment, helping you make informed decisions for troubleshooting or improvement.

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Setting Up Alerts for Breaking Changes

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How to Configure Alerts for Breaking Changes in the Data Environment

Structured’s alert system ensures you’re always aware of critical issues in your data environment. Breaking changes—like missing tables, schema mismatches, or failed data source connections—can disrupt operations if not addressed immediately. You can set up alerts to catch these issues early.

1

Open the Alerts Section

In the dashboard, go to the Alerts & Notifications settings.

2

Select Alert Criteria

Customize which events trigger alerts. For example: - Breaking changes: Alerts for critical table or column removals or renaming. - Connection issues: Notifications for data source sync failures or connection errors.

  • Metric inconsistencies: Alerts for discrepancies or missing data in key metrics.
3

Choose Alert Channels

Select how you’d like to receive alerts—via Slack, email, or directly in the Structured admin dashboard.

4

Set Alert Thresholds

Define conditions under which alerts are triggered, like notifying you if more than 10 columns change in a day or if a key metric isn’t updated within a set timeframe.

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Understanding the Different Types of Alerts and What They Mean

There are several types of alerts you can configure in Structured, each designed to keep you informed about different aspects of your data environment:

Breaking Change Alerts

These alerts notify you when a table, column, or data source is modified in a way that could break downstream reports or workflows, like a removed primary key.

Sync Failure Alerts

Alerts for data source sync failures, ensuring you’re aware of connection problems or permission issues.

Data Integrity Alerts

Alerts for discrepancies or missing data in key tables, helping you catch data issues before they affect analytics or reports.

By setting up alerts, you ensure that your data operations remain stable and disruptions are addressed quickly, minimizing their impact.

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Summary

The Analytics page in Structured provides a powerful view of your entire data environment. From tracking connected sources to monitoring changes in data definitions, it gives you the tools you need to stay informed and proactive. You can view historical data to spot trends, set up alerts for critical issues, and drill into the details of recent changes.

By using the dashboard, your team can stay on top of data health, ensure definitions are up to date, and catch breaking changes before they become problems. This real-time insight ensures smooth and consistent data-driven operations for your business.

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