Data Workbench 6.4 Release Notes

Data Workbench 6.4 release notes include new features, upgrade requirements, fixed bugs, and known issues.

To view previous features and fixes for past releases, see the release notes archive.

New Features

Data Workbench 6.4 includes these new features:

DWB 6.4 Features
Description
Exporting to Analytics Core Services
The Customer Record Service (CRS) export feature lets you export Data Workbench data from the Details Table to the Adobe Analytics Core Services to integrate with other Analytics’ capabilities, including Reports & Analytics.
Workstation Setup Wizard
Set up the Data Workbench (Client) using a step-by-step installation wizard. Download, set options, install the workbench, and synch up with servers.
Enhanced Workstation Configuration Experience
After installation of the workstation, the Configure Connections to the Server workspace will open with additional information about entering server connection information in the Insight.cfg file. You can also view the connection status to your servers and select profiles.
Presentation Layer
Annotate and clarify visualizations using a presentation overlay. Add text call-outs, arrows, images, and color coding to highlight and clarify your data, and then share with others.
Metric Dim Wizard
Employ a step-by-step wizard to facilitate building metric dimensions.
User Administration of Group Member Access
Administrators can give workstation users the partial ability to manage access control for custom groups.
Locking Profiles in the Workstation
You can prevent profiles from being overwritten by users working in the Profile, Dimensions, Reports, Workspaces, Metrics, or Filters managers. In the Profile Manager, save the Internal.cfg file to a custom profile to prevent multiple profile files in your system from being overwritten on the server.
New User Interface Features
Data Workbench 6.4 adds new workspace icons, tool tips, splash screens, and an F1 shortcut to the help. It also lets you open your log files by selecting the Help > Open Trace Directory from the toolbar.
Updated Clustering algorithm
Expectation Maximization added to Clustering feature. This is an Adobe Analytics Premium feature.
Updated Logging information
Data workbench now uses an expanded logging framework “L4” which provides the ability to configure logging based on the need. The default implementation that comes with the 6.4 package provides vital information on the software processing. Logging can be expanded with additional information to troubleshoot server events and help analyze underlying issues, including additional information for associated server, client and report server. For additional support in implementing additional L4 logging, please contact your account manager.
New cfg file for ExportIntegration.exe logging options
A new httpLoggingEI.cfg configuration file (located at server\Admin\Export\httpLoggingEI.cfg ) lets you stop INFO logging to the HTTP.log file during Export Integration exports. (The CRS, TNT, and MMP exports already capture verbose logging in individual export log files.) A true setting starts INFO logging (for testing and detailed reporting) to the HTTP.log file, and a false setting stops verbose logging. For a false setting, only a WARNING/ERROR level messages will be sent to the HTTP.log file.
Zoom feature for Graph visualizations
Use the zoom feature to better view metric labels when values reach a higher disparity. Previously the label would disappear with the change in the contrast of values-for example, when you set a higher metric regression value against previous values. You can now zoom in to the visualization by clicking Ctrl and moving the mouse wheel while hovering over the graph.
New Color Picker tool
A new color picker lets you select colors from a simple palette of colors, or select the Advanced tab to pick from a gradation scale or enter your own RGB values.
Finders now export more meta information
More meta information is provided when exporting dimensions and metrics from the Finder. Metrics Finder output now includes Name and Formula. Dimensions Finder output includes Name, Type, and Parent.
Insight.exe and InsightSetup.exe are now digitally signed
These executables are now digitally signed to ensure that the software downloads have not been altered or corrupted.
Date format options
You can change the date format based on your locale in the Standard Time Dimensions.cfg file. Change the default MM/DD/YYYY format to the DD/MM/YYYY format or choose other options.
Files visualization broken out
The Files visualization ( Admin > Files ) for Base profiles will not include larger directories (removed Logs, Exports, and Lookups) when reporting. This will increase the speed in displaying the report. The larger directories now have their own individual reports ( Admin / Export Files, Lookup Files and Log Files).
Device Atlas with In-Memory Cache
The DeviceAtlas.bundle file now uses in-memory cache to greatly improve the performance of look-ups.
Updated Chord visualization
Improved visibility when hovering over a section when viewing the Chord visualization.
Drag dimensions from Finder to a Detail Table
From the workstation, you can now drag dimensions from Finder panel directly to the Detail Table in a workspace.
NOTE
You can turn off the icons in the toolbar and return to text names. Add the Toolbar Icons = bool: false parameter to the Insight.cfg file. False turns off the icons in the workstation user interface and displays menu names in text in the toolbar.

Device Atlas with In-Memory Cache

The DeviceAtlas.bundle file now uses an in-memory cache to greatly improve the performance of lookups

By default, Device Atlas will cache up to 100,000 user-agents and their properties. The LRU cache is entirely self-contained inside the DeviceAtlas.bundle, so any version of the server capable of using a bundle file will automatically benefit from the increased performance as soon as the new file is loaded.

Modifying the DeviceAtlas.cfg file

The maximum size of the LRU cache can be configured by modifying the Cached Elements Limit parameter in the DeviceAtlas.cfg file.

Starting with the Data Workbench 6.4 release, you can override the default Cached Elements Limit of “100000” by changing its value and saving the file. The default value has been selected to be sufficient for most needs.

component = DeviceAtlasComponent:
  DeviceAtlas Bundle File = string: Lookups\\DeviceAtlas\\DeviceAtlas.bundle
  Unsynchronized Bundle Extraction Path = string: Temp\\DeviceAtlas\\

<b> Cached Elements Limit = unsigned int: 100000</b>

Upgrade Requirements

Follow these requirements and recommendations when upgrading to Data Workbench 6.4.

IMPORTANT
It is recommended that you use the newly installed default configuration files and customize them, rather than moving files from a previous installation—with these exceptions:
  • Add Excluded Processes for MS System Center Endpoint Protection in Windows 2012 Servers for the following executables:

    • InsightServer64.exe
    • ReportServer.exe
    • ExportIntegration.exe

    This will allow white-list rights for these interfacing executables.

  • Update the Trust_ca_cert.pem certificate on the servers.

  • Reorganization of Attribution Profiles.

    • The Attribution folder was renamed to Attribution - Premium (found in the default installation at Profiles \ Attribution - Premium).

    • The Premium profile was removed and the workspace moved to the new Attribution - Premium folder.

  • Update Attribution-Premium settings. If you have customized profiles with parameter settings that override the default Adobe SC profile, then you need to update the custom fields in these configuration files:

    • Decoding Instructions.cfg
    • SC Fields.cfg
  • Because of this reorganization, you will want to remove the old Attribution and Premium folders from your server installation.

    Change these settings

    code language-none
    Profile = profileInfo:
      Active = bool: true
      Directories = vector: 6 items
        0 = string: Base\\
        1 = string: Geography\\
        2 = string: Predictive Analytics\\
        3 = string: Adobe SC\\
        4 = string: Attribution\\
        5 = string: Premium\\
    

    to these settings:

    code language-none
    Profile = profileInfo:
      Active = bool: true
      Directories = vector: 5 items
        0 = string: Base\\
        1 = string: Geography\\
        2 = string: Predictive Analytics\\
        3 = string: Adobe SC\\
        4 = string: Attribution - Premium\\
    
  • Update custom Meta.cfg files (if necessary).

    The Meta.cfg files in Base\Context and AdobeSC\Context folders have been updated in this release.

    If you override the meta.cfg file during installation, then your profile copy needs to be updated with this these parameters and the metadata vector appropriately entered:

    code language-none
    94 = meta:
      path = string: SegmentExport:CRS Configuration/CRS Attributes
      acceptable children = vector: 1 items
        0 = Template:
          name = string: CRS Attributes
          value = CRSAttributeConfiguration:
            Attribute Name = string:
            Attribute Type(int,string) = string:
            Field Name = string:
    
    95 = meta:
      path = string: SegmentExportQuery:CRS Configuration/Report Suite
      acceptable children = vector: 1 items
        0 = Template
          name = string: Add Report Suite
          value = string:
    
  • Set Report Server permissions to generate Microsoft Excel reports On Windows 2012 servers.

    1. Set permission of the root folder (E:\ReportServer\) to Everyone = full control.

    2. Create the following folders with appropriate permissions:

      code language-none
      C:\Windows\SysWOW64\config\systemprofile\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\INetCac‌he
      C:\Windows\System32\config\systemprofile\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\INetCac‌he
      C:\Windows\System32\config\systemprofile\Desktop
      C:\Windows\SysWOW64\config\systemprofile\Desktop
      
      note note
      NOTE
      If you are running Report Server on Windows Server 2012, you need to have Windows Server 2012 R2 installed.
    3. Assign “SYSTEM” as the owner for these folders.

  • Add fonts to the Report Server. In the **ReportServer.cfg**file, add these fonts (for all languages):

    code language-none
    Fonts = vector: 3 items
      0 = string: Arial
      1 = string: SimSun
      2 = string: MS Mincho
    
  • Update your version of Microsoft Excel (if necessary).

    With the release of Data Workbench 6.4, support for Excel 2007 has been discontinued. Also because Data Workbench only runs on Microsoft Windows for 64-bit architecture, it is recommended that you also install a 64-bit version of Microsoft Excel.

  • 64-bit architecture required for Workstation (Client) installation.

  • Run the Workstation Setup Wizard.

    Install the new version of the workstation (client) by downloading and launching InsightSetup.exe and stepping through the setup instructions. The setup wizard will install your files to a new location by default:

    Program files are now saved by default to:

    code language-none
    C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Analytics\Data Workbench
    

    Data Files (profiles, certificates, trace logs, and user files) are now saved by default to:

    code language-none
    C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Adobe\Adobe Analytics\Data Workbench\
    
  • Add fonts to the Workstation.

    In the Insight.cfg file, add these fonts (for all languages):

    code language-none
    Fonts = vector: 3 items
      0 = string: Arial
      1 = string: SimSun
      2 = string: MS Mincho
    

System Updates

These features have been renamed, deleted, or the installation files or folders were restructured in this release:

  • The Base.zip folder is no longer included in the version update package.
  • The DeviceAtlas.bundle file now uses an in-memory cache to improve the performance of lookups.
  • In the Log Processing.cfg file, the Chunk Size parameter under Log Sources was removed.
  • In the Disk Files.cfg file, the Detect Disk Corruption parameter was removed in these locations:

\server\components\disk files.cfg

\server\components for processing servers\disk files.cfg

  • New service descriptions for Adobe Analytics Premium Services and for Adobe Analytics Premium Report Services in the executable properties.
  • The Master Marketing Profile Export feature in the Details Table was renamed to Profiles & Audiences Export.
  • The Test and Target Export feature in the Details Table was renamed to Adobe Target Export.

Fixed Bugs

The following fixes were made in Data Workbench 6.4 (since the release of Data Workbench 6.31).

  • Propensity score wasn’t resetting when rerunning different inputs in the same workspace. This now resets properly.
  • No countable dimensions available when first opening the Correlation Matrix has been fixed.
  • Export of Target segments were failing because the mboxPC field was missing. This is now fixed.
  • ID request formatted correctly. Using the mbox3rdpartyId identification instead of default PCIDs caused Adobe Target to reject requests generated via the Target/Data Workbench integration (using the ExportIntegration.exe). This ID request is now being formatted correctly and throughput is successful.
  • Report Server memory leak when exporting to Excel has been fixed.

Known Issues

The following are known restrictions in Data Workbench 6.4.

  • ExportIntegration.exe requires command-line arguments in English. The output file name should be named in English for Adobe Target Export, Profiles and Audiences Export, and Customer Record Service Export.
  • In the Profiles and Audience Export, entering unauthorized characters ([CR] or [TAB]) as column names generates incorrect logs resulting in data not exporting correctly.
  • In Chinese and Japanese versions, Unicode character encoding issue might be encountered in the Path Browser.
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