New Server Usage Report - How do I do Step 4 & 5??

[jrgo]

Hello,

I'm attempting to implement the new Server Usage Report and going through the "Getting Stated" instructions and I'm stuck at steps 4 & 5, pictured below.

The instructions indicate that it should use a MongoDB connection, but doesn't say much anything else. In other words:

1. Can I use one of the connections that I created in steps 1 & 2 or do I need to create a 3rd one?
2. Should I point it to one of the existing databases (i.e. AlteryxServer or AlteryxGallery)?
3. Does it want me to create a separate database within the same embedded Mongo instance?
4. Or is it expecting that I supply acompletely separate MongoDB (user managed) instance?
5. Or was the instruction of "... choose the MongoDB tile" (step 4.2) irrelevant and can use any data source?

I did attempt 2 (to AlteryxServer) and 3 (new database called ServerUsage) and prepared the "Create Cache Database..." app with the new connection/credential but it seems that the Simba Driver doesn't support creating tables.

Error: Output Data (9): Error creating table "ApplicationPackages": [Simba][SQLEngine] (31781) Create table statements are not supported.
CREATE  TABLE "ApplicationPackages" ("Application_Id" STRING,"Application_RevisionId" STRING,"DownloadData" BYTES,"DownloadHeaders" STRING)

I know it's optional, but the server that I'm trying to implement on does have a lot of of content so the purpose for why this option exists is ideal to have enabled.

I looked up and down the instructions to make sure I didn't miss anything and even looked at the instructions in help.alteryx thinking that maybe it was more up to date, but it's the same. I also found this blog, A Practical Guide to the Alteryx Server Usage Report, ( @Steve_Dreibelbis ) but it also stops short of exactly how these connections are expected to be set.

What am I missing?

Any info/advise/direction is appreciated!

-Jimmy

[SDreibelbis]

Steps 4 and 5 are if you are going to Cache the tables in another database for faster server usage report runs in the future. Caching stores the information in tables elsewhere and then when the server usage report runs it looks at the Cache table and if nothing has changed for each record then it doesn't query the server metadata it uses what is in the cache tables. If anything has changed then it will query the mongo for the new data. The cached tables can be stored in any database that Alteryx can connect to and write information. (Databricks, MySQL...) You can't write back to the Mongo that is running the server. There is a seperate workflow that is used to create the cached tables. 

Keep in mind the Cached tables are optional.

[jrgo]

Hi @SDreibelbis 

Thanks for the response. I understand the purpose for those "Cache" tables and that they are optional. My question was more about understanding exactly how those tables should be created and where.

I know that there's those 2 "Create..." workflows exist, but in following the instructions in the "Getting Started" workflow, step 4 instructions indicate specifically that a MongoDB DCM connection needs to be created. 

Maybe it’s a mistake in the documentation that it mentions "MongoDB" but that's part of my question; does it REQUIRE a MongoDB or is step 4 a typo in that I can utilize any Alteryx-supported database technology?

Have you implemented this with this option turned on? If so, what database did you create the cache tables into?

[SDreibelbis]

That is a typo, and it is being marked as a bug so that it gets fixed. Initially it was designed using SQL lite on the computer running the SUR, but it can be any database that Alteryx can write to inside your company.

[Steve_Dreibelbis · Accepted solution]

That is a typo, and it is being marked as a bug so that it gets fixed. Initially it was designed using SQL lite on the computer running the SUR, but it can be any database that Alteryx can write to inside your company. Thanks for your question.