Here are answers to some common questions about building queries using the new Timeline Event Rollup feature in BlueConic.
Where do I find the new Timeline event rollups feature?
Select More > Timeline events from the BlueConic navigation bar and then open the Timeline event rollups tab. Make sure your BlueConic user role has the correct permissions to run timeline rollups. Only BlueConic Application Managers and BlueConic Support roles have this permission by default. See Create timeline rollups for details.
Does my BlueConic user role need special user permissions for timeline rollups?
Yes, your BlueConic user role needs permission granted in the Access management > Roles page. Open the Roles page to check your role permissions and contact the BlueConic Application Manager at your site for help.
How is this feature different from the Timeline Query Connection?
Some key benefits to creating a timeline event rollup include:
- User interface designed for business users
- Additional condition operators
- More efficient performance and data operations, running the rollup only when needed
- Faster and more intuitive than running a connection; doesn't require a scheduled connection
- PII validations prevent you from mapping PII data to a non-PII profile property
The Timeline Query Connection still serves certain use cases that rely on features planned for upcoming releases of timeline event rollups - for example, if you want to write your own SQL query or run queries against multi-value properties such as category lists.
When does a rollup get run?
Once you configure a timeline rollup, turn the toggle button to On, and click Save to start rolling up timeline event data to profile properties.
The rollup functionality doesn't work like connections. No scheduling is required, and you don't need to press Run now. After you switch the rollup on, the rollup is run only when needed, making it more real time and accurate. A rollup for a profile is run when:
- The rollup is created or updated.
- A timeline event is added, updated, or deleted for a given profile.
- The timeline event retention period has passed.
- The recalculation date has passed.
You can click Refresh in the Statistics widget in the right-hand panel of the page. Statistics automatically update hourly. You can refresh the statistics once every 5 minutes.
How can I validate my results?
Once you've created a rollup, you can validate your results by creating a segment of profiles based on the resulting rollup property. Check to see if it's being populated with profiles as expected. See Validating your results for more detail.
Can I see the effect of rollups on my tenant's data operations?
Yes, in the Settings > General settings page, you can drill down into data operations for your subscription to see how timeline rollups affect your data operations.