By default, Metric data is disconnected and managed independently across Test & Deploy environments. When a Metric is kept in sync, changes made in the source environment appear in the deployment diff and can be deployed to the target environment.
This article describes the differences between connected and disconnected Metrics, when to use each option and how to configure them.
ℹ️ Note
This feature is also compatible with Local Deployment.
When to use disconnected or connected Metrics
Use connected Metrics for structural or configuration data that should remain consistent across environments and be deployed through Test & Deploy. Typical examples include business rules, thresholds, mapping tables, model parameters and consolidation configuration.
Use disconnected Metrics for operational data that is expected to differ between environments or be maintained directly in the target environment. Typical examples include actuals, forecasts, budgets, user inputs and imported transactional data.
Considerations
When working with connected Metrics, remember that data in the source environment is replaced with data from the target environment during deployment. If deployment would overwrite existing data in the target environment, you are warned before the deployment completes.
Connected Metric data cannot be edited in the target environment. To update the data, make your changes in the source environment and deploy them. The same behavior applies in locked applications outside of Test & Deploy.
⚠️ Important
A connected Metric cannot be structured by disconnected Items in a Dimension List. Since disconnected Dimension List Items can differ between environments, Metric data cannot be reliably mapped during deployment. If this dependency exists, deployment is blocked until you connect the referenced Dimension List Items or disconnect the Metric. For more information on disconnected Dimensions, see Manage Data Changes in Dimension Lists.
How to connect or disconnect Metrics
To connect or disconnect a Metric, do the following:
In the source environment, locate the required Metric and open Settings.
In the General tab, go to Input management.
Select one of the following options:
Keep inputs in sync. Select this option to connect the Metric.
Disconnect inputs. Select this option to disconnect the Metric.
Manage connected and disconnected Metrics in the Block Explorer
You can filter Metrics by their input management mode directly in the Block Explorer. This allows you to quickly identify which Metrics are managed independently and which are kept in sync across Test & Deploy environments.
To view connected or disconnected Metrics:
In All Blocks, select Metrics, then select Filter.
Open the Input management filter.
Select one of the following options from the drop-down menu:
Connected. Display Metrics whose inputs are kept in sync across environments.
Disconnected. Display Metrics whose inputs are managed independently in each environment.
ℹ️ Note
You can also connect or disconnect multiple Metrics at once using the Bulk edit option in the Block Explorer.