Sharing and linking data tables in ACL robots

You have the option of sharing Analytics data tables between ACL robots. If you share a data table, it becomes available for use in any ACL robot. If you do not share a data table, it can only be used in the robot that output the data table.

Data tables are output if an ACL script in a task contains the //DATA analytic tag. Data tables allow you to output data from one task and preserve it for use in a subsequent task.

A robot that shares its data tables is a source robot. A robot that links to shared tables is a consumer robot.

Benefits of sharing tables

Sharing tables allows you to import a data set once, instead of performing multiple separate import operations. It also lets you maintain a single master copy of a table.

Import once

Instead of importing the same data for each task that you want to run against the data, you can import the data once, and allow other robots to link to a single, shared copy of the data.

Importing the data once, and maintaining a single copy, has these benefits:

• Speed Tasks run more quickly if no import is required because the data is already available in Robots.
• Reduced data access requirement A single task can be scheduled to import data overnight, or to coincide with a limited window to extract data from a corporate system. No need to repeatedly access a database for the same data.
• Improved resource usage Network load is reduced. Storage space in Robots is used more efficiently.

Maintain a master copy

Maintaining a single master copy of a table has these benefits:

• Standardization All tasks that run against the table use exactly the same data.
• Frequent updating By scheduling an automated task, you can refresh the master copy of the table from the external data source as often as you choose. All tables that link to the master copy automatically get the refreshed data.
• Security The robot containing the master copy of a table can be restricted to Robots Admins and designated owners of the robot. Linked tables cannot change the master copy of a table in any way.

Development mode and production mode

Table sharing and linking is segregated by mode. Tables made available for sharing in one mode can only be linked to when you are in that same mode. For example, a shared table in development mode can only be linked to from another robot in development mode.

Making tables available for sharing

When you make the data tables in an ACL robot available for sharing, all data tables in the Input/Output tab are shared, and any ACL robot can link to the shared tables. You cannot selectively share tables, or restrict which robots can link to the shared tables.

A table is not actually shared until another robot is explicitly linked to the table.

Once you share the tables in a robot, any new data tables added to the robot are automatically available for sharing.

Make tables available for sharing

1. Open the Robots app.
2. From the dashboard in Robots, select ACL Robots.
3. Click the robot containing the data tables that you want to share (the source robot).
4. In the upper-right corner of the robot, click Production or Development to select the mode to use.

   Note

   Table sharing and linking is segregated by mode. Tables made available for sharing in one mode can only be linked to when you are in that same mode.

   For more information, see Development mode and production mode in Robots.

5. On the Input/Output tab, click Share all tables > Yes, share all tables.

   The heading on the data tables section turns purple and the Shared indicator appears. The data tables in the robot are now available for sharing.

   Note

   The Share all tables option appears only if the Input/Output tab contains at least one Analytics data table.

Stop sharing tables

1. Open the Robots app.
2. From the dashboard in Robots, select ACL Robots.
3. Click the robot containing the data tables that you want to stop sharing (the source robot).
4. In the upper-right corner of the robot, click Production or Development to select the mode to use.

   Note

   Table sharing and linking is segregated by mode. Tables made available for sharing in one mode can only be linked to when you are in that same mode.

   For more information, see Development mode and production mode in Robots.

5. On the Input/Output tab, click Share all tables > Yes, unshare all tables.

   The heading on the data tables section turns gray and the Shared indicator disappears. The data tables in the robot are no longer shared and cannot be linked to.

   Any existing links to the unshared data tables are disabled in consumer robots. The table links continue to appear in the consumer robots, but with the notification Source table unshared.

   If you re-share the data tables at a later point, the existing links, if they have not been manually removed, are re-enabled.

Linking to shared tables

You can link to any data tables in Robots that have been made available for sharing. Once you link to a shared table, tasks in the consumer robot can use the linked table as if it existed in the consumer robot.

You link to shared tables selectively. From a single consumer robot, you can link to one or more shared tables in one or more source robots.

Any new data tables added to a source robot are not automatically linked to a consumer robot and must be explicitly linked.

Link to a shared table

1. Open the Robots app.
2. From the dashboard in Robots, select ACL Robots.
3. Click the robot that you want to link from (the consumer robot).
4. In the upper-right corner of the robot, click Production or Development to select the mode to use.

   Note

   Table sharing and linking is segregated by mode. You can only link to tables that are shared within the same mode.

   For more information, see Development mode and production mode in Robots.

5. On the Input/Output tab, in the Linked tables section, do one of the following:
   • Link to a table for the first time click but you can start here
   • Link to additional tables click Manage tables
6. In the Manage linked tables dialog box, do the following to link to one or more shared tables:
   1. Under Robots, click a robot name to display the available shared tables in the robot.

      If no robot name appears, no robot currently has shared tables. For more information, see Making tables available for sharing.

   2. Under Tables, select one or more tables to link to.

   Tables you select are added to the Selected tables section. Click the trash can to deselect a table.

7. When you have finished selecting tables to link to, click Link <n> tables, or Save changes.

   The table or tables that you linked to appear in the Linked tables section.

Remove a link to a shared table

1. Open the Robots app.
2. From the dashboard in Robots, select ACL Robots.
3. Click the robot with the link that you want to remove (the consumer robot).
4. In the upper-right corner of the robot, click Production or Development to select the mode to use.

   Note

   Table sharing and linking is segregated by mode. You can only link to tables that are shared within the same mode.

   For more information, see Development mode and production mode in Robots.

5. On the Input/Output tab, in the Linked tables section, click Manage tables.
6. In the Manage linked tables dialog box, in the Selected tables section, click the trash can to deselect one or more linked tables.
7. When you have finished deselecting linked tables, click Save changes.

   The table or tables that you unlinked are removed from the Linked tables section. You are removing only the link to the shared table. The master copy of the table in the source robot is unaffected.