Release Notes v2024.22

🚀 New Features and Enhancements

Core

• Introduction of the new Workspace concept for Virtual Datasets. This feature allows users to organize their Virtual Datasets into distinct Workspaces, enhancing data management and collaboration capabilities. Three types of Workspaces are available:
  • Public Workspace: This Workspace is accessible to all members, promoting transparency and shared knowledge across the organization. It is denoted as 'MyCompany'.
  • Shared Workspaces: Restrict access to specific teams, ensuring that only authorized team members can view and work on the datasets within these Workspaces.
  • Private Workspaces: Ideal for individual use, these Workspaces are accessible only to the user, providing a secure and personal data environment.
• Enhanced security with Encryption: We have significantly improved security by implementing comprehensive encryption. Now, all communication and data transfers are encrypted from Source Systems to VDP and from VDP to Front-End Applications. This robust encryption minimizes the risk of hacking, making VDP more secure.

Modeler

• Transformation:
  • Type transformations to the new data types 'Time' and 'Date' are available.
  • Type transformations of 'null'-values are possible now.

Source System Connections

• Salesforce:
  • Introducing aggregation: Rows can be aggregated by columns, providing more powerful data analysis and reporting capabilities.
  • The API version can be optionally entered by the VDP Admin.
  • Enabling the new authentication method OAuth2 Password Flow.
• JSON Handler: The option to automatically detect data types is available.

Front-End Applications

• Unicon (Power BI): DISTINCT can be used in statements now.

🐛 Solved Issues

Modeler

• Formulas: Improved error messaging for incorrect decimal delimiters when entering decimal numbers.
• Transformation: Allow only data types 'Integer' and 'Decimal' as value columns in Pivot transformation.

Source System Connections

• Salesforce: The issue within the Technical Handler showing error 'An invalid request URI was provided' is solved.
• SAP BW: Bug fix with respect to keyfigure value column containing special characters.

🚧 Known Issues

Modeler

• Concurrent save issue when launching a Model with multiple Parameters or adjusting multiple Parameters in parallel.
• Union of identical nodes might result in "Duplicate Key" error message.
• Meta data preview potentially not loading for large models. It ends with an infinite load and the error message 'cancelled by user'.

Excel AddIn

• Parameter of type Date and Time cannot yet be processed. This will be resolved in one of the upcoming releases. In the meantime, using DateTime should work as a workaround.

Unicon

• Limitation caused by Power BI: First execution of a Model in Power BI fails as no metadata is availabe to determine the column set. This is solved by simply executing the query once again.

🙌 How to Upgrade

The new Workspace concept requires the following manual actions from the admin-user:

• The Agent needs replacement. Please remove all old Agents and install new ones through VDP Portal.
• Users that should be able to edit Virtual Datasets in the Workspace 'MyCompany' require the assignment of the role 'VDP Enterprise Creator' in the Enterprise Application 'VDP Global SignIn' (Azure Portal). Note that all previously created Virtual Datasets are assigned to the Workspace 'MyCompany'. In addition, the user may have to sign out and sign in again after assigning the 'VDP Enterprise Creator' role (in some cases, this has to be done a second time in the Modeler).
• To extract user rights from groups, the EntraID App Registration requires the extended group scope. Therefore, this additional scope must be manually consented to in the Azure Portal for VDP.

All other components will be upgraded automatically, requiring no action from the user.

🗣️ Feedback

If you have questions, want to share feedback or have any new ideas please do not hesitate to contact us via contact@virtualdataplatform.com.