Purging dimension data

As needed, you can clear all data that is stored in the database and the active Canisters for the selected dimension. For example, you may discover that your dimension data set contains a high number of unwanted values that are caused by a poorly defined dimension or a change to the web application being monitored.

Note: Purging dimension data removes all of the list data types for the specified dimension from the Discover databases and all active Canisters. This step cannot be reverted.

Purged data includes

  • Event data from report groups using the dimension
  • Anomaly Detection data for this dimension
  • Dimension values
  • Dimension filters in Report Builder and Anomaly Detections reports
    Note: Reports using dimension filters must be reconfigured after dimension purging.
  • Group lists that are not whitelisted.
    Note: Group lists that are whitelisted, dimension values that are whitelisted, and dimension values that are blacklisted are retained.
  • Scorecard data
  • Log and performance data

Ancillary effects

As a result of purging of the above data, the following effects may occur:

  • Since dimension filters are purged, any reports that are filtering on the purged dimension retain the filter yet have no values. If the filter values were contained in a whitelist, then the report contains no data and appears to be broken.
  • Scorecards that are configured to filter using a dimension value have the entire filter that is removed and are still available. As a result, the counts reported in the scorecard may appear to suddenly increase.
  • Saved searches for sessions or visitors using event + dimension combinations that include a specific dimension value now contain just the event as the search term. When the search is loaded, the dimension value is replaced by the <Any Dimension> indicator.
  • Alerts using this dimension are cleared and set to inactive.
  • In general, in the locations in the Portal where references to specific dimension values were used, these values are cleared.
Note: Dimension data that is recorded in the requests of the sessions is not purged. You can still search for this data through the Portal.
  • To purge dimension data, right-click the dimension whose data you want to purge in the Dimension List. Then, select Purge Data....
    Note: After you choose to purge the data, you cannot edit the dimension values for the dimension until the Data Collector completed its operations to purge values from each Canister. These operations occur every five minutes.

In the Summary, you can review the totals of data to be purged.

Field
Description
Dimension Data to Purge
Name of the dimension whose data is to be purged
Affected Events
The count of events that are affected by this purge
Unique Report Groups
Number of unique report groups to which the dimension is assigned
Report Group Instances
Instances of the report groups

Below, you can review the list of affected Report Groups and dimensions, and Events.

  • To complete the purge, click Purge Data.
    Note: This step removes the data permanently and cannot be reverted.
  • To cancel purging, click Cancel.
Note: When a dimension is purged, it is automatically switched to Whitelist Only method of recording.
  • If you specified a whitelist, it is retained.
  • If you did not specify a whitelist, no data is captured to the dimension until you enable logging, download values, and then upload your defined whitelist.
Note: For reports that use this dimension, you may need to refresh the Report Builder to see the removal of dimension data. Click Refresh.

You can also purge event data. See Manage Events - Events tab.