Assigning Sources to Processing Groups

Processing groups allow you to group sources together that should be loaded separately from other data. By default, all sources are assigned to a default processing group and the hierarchy levels and measure grains are processed all at the same time. However, in some cases, you might want to load data before or after other data, for example, if data from the source systems is ready at different times or if you would like to build an aggregate table via an ETL Services script that uses hierarchy and measure data that you have just fully processed.

When processing data, processing groups are executed in alphabetical order. Birst provides three options for executing processing groups:

Execute all processing groups at once. This will execute the default processing group first, then the other processing groups in alphabetical order.

Execute a single specific processing group. This does not include the default processing group.

Execute more than one specific processing group. This does not include the default processing group. This also uses alphabetical order.

For example, assume you have three processing groups: the default processing group, A1 and A2. If you submit a processing job that runs all processing groups, Birst first runs all sources assigned to the default processing group, followed by the sources assigned to processing group A1, and finally the sources assigned to the A2 processing group.

To assign a data source to a processing group

Go to Admin - Define Sources - Manage Sources.

On the Manage Sources page, select a data source, then click the Properties tab.

In the Processing Group Name(s) field, type the name of one or more processing groups to assign this source to, separating each name with a comma. The processing group names you type here will be created if they do not already exist.

If the field is left blank, this source will be included in the default processing group.

Change any other processing settings as appropriate.

Click Save.

Tip: A folder is created for each processing group in the tree on the left side of the Manage Sources page. Expand a processing group to see which sources are assigned to that processing group.