Support for GZIP (.gz) compressed files in input tool, both in Designer and Server

[blyons]

Please support GZIP files in the input tool for both Designer and Server.

I get several large .gz files every day containing our streaming server logs. I need to parse and import these using Alteryx (we currently use Sawmill). Extracting each of these files would take a huge amount of space and time.

This was previously requested and marked as "now available", but what is available only addressed a small part of the request. First, that request was for both ZIP and GZIP. What is now available is only ZIP. Second, it requested both input and output, what is now available is input only. Third, while not explicitly stated in the request, it needs to function in Alteryx Server in order to be scheduled on a daily basis.

[ARich]

We will be releasing gzip support in the input tool in 18.2.  Workflows built in desktop Designer will be able to be published to server and scheduled.

Write support for zipped files is not currently planned. Please submit that idea in a separate post.

Best,

Alex

[blyons]

I have to say, @ARich, your comment "another idea for zip support in the Server" troubles me. This is my idea, and if you read the subject line, support for Server is specifically included ("...both Designer and Server"). To strip that out makes this request pointless to me. Without it working in Server, there is no point in wasting my time developing anything in Designer.

I am seeing a pattern here. The previous request (https://community.alteryx.com/t5/Alteryx-Product-Ideas/Inputs-Output-should-have-the-option-to-read-...) was similarly gutted of its purpose, with a partial solution released - it requested both zip and gzip, but only zip was released, yet the entire idea marked "complete."

When I subsequently posted this idea to complete the missing pieces, this idea was immediately marked "complete," when it was not even begun. I had to challenge @JessicaS on this in order to get it reinstated because the solution was never delivered.

Now this sounds again like only one piece is being addressed, but not providing a completely functional solution. This seems to be getting addressed from a developer's perspective alone. Please learn to approach these issues from a customer's perspective. Are you delivering what we asked for and need?

[ARich]

Apologize for the confusion. Server functionality will be available when released in 18.2.

Best,

Alex

[denny]

I understand getting functionalities out the the market ASAP. Agreed.

But why have these tightly coupled ideas go thru the voting process again?

If that's what desired for fine-grain implementation than the Alteryx Idea system needs to support this function of splitting a parent idea into N child ideas. For example have choices to have child ideas inheriting the votes parent idea, or also resetting any child idea to 0 votes.

[blyons]

For those of you who need it also in Server, please vote for https://community.alteryx.com/t5/Alteryx-Product-Ideas/Support-GZIP-gz-compressed-files-in-Input-too...

[ARich]

Thanks @denny and @blyons,

Good point about the child ideas going through the voting process again. Including @BradW as we look at ways to improve this on our Ideas forum.

Best,

Alex

[ARich]

Hi All,

Just to clarify: workflows created in Desktop that include an Input tool that reads in a zipped file and then published to the Server should work on the Server as long as the file referenced is accessible from the Server or packaged with the workflow. This means you can schedule these workflows on the Server. What will NOT work is an Analytic App on the Server that allows a user to choose a zipped file format. 

.zip works this way currently and .gz will work in 18.2.

Best,

Alex

[denny]

@ARich: Thank you for the clarification.

We are currently scheduling using the controllor for yxmd, so this is not an issue.

However, we understand there are restrictions scheduling through Gallery, along with restrictions on yxwz.

[BradW]

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@blyons wrote:

Please support GZIP files in the input tool for both Designer and Server.

I get several large .gz files every day containing our streaming server logs. I need to parse and import these using Alteryx (we currently use Sawmill). Extracting each of these files would take a huge amount of space and time.

This was previously requested and marked as "now available", but what is available only addressed a small part of the request. First, that request was for both ZIP and GZIP. What is now available is only ZIP. Second, it requested both input and output, what is now available is input only. Third, while not explicitly stated in the request, it needs to function in Alteryx Server in order to be scheduled on a daily basis.

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@denny & @blyons - Thanks for this great ideas!  One of the most important steps in receiving and responding to customer feedback is field validation (i.e. confirming that we did indeed hit the mark with our customers).  In this case, we made some significant progress, but clearly we need to dig deeper and better address the root issue which you've described above.  In the coming months you'll see an expansion of our beta program with increased emphasis on getting feedback understood and integrated back into the product as quickly as possible.  Please to continue to follow and as new releases become available (beta or GA) we plan to re-asses our methodology and ensure that we solve the entire problem initially unless we specifically indicate a iterative solution.

[steven4320555]

[Question for gml support in gzip]

It is a good news that Alteryx can work with gzip file now, but my user case of opening OS Mastermap topographical layer, which is GML inside gzip, is still not working. Just wondering if GML format is on the very recent roadmap of Alteryx?

As GML file itself is supported for both read and write, https://help.alteryx.com/11.3/index.htm#DataSources/SupportedDataSources.htm?Highlight=gml.

As in 2018.2, the currently supported file format is attached as below: