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Create a Data Slice

Data slices let you work with a subset of a catalog item based on selected criteria, rather than processing the entire item. This is optimal both from computational and cost perspectives.

Data slices are especially helpful when dealing with large tables which are updated frequently. Instead of processing millions or even billions of records, you can restrict operations to a relevant subset—such as data from the last year or month.

While it is still possible to create SQL catalog items or virtual catalog items, the data slice functionality facilitates additional use cases which cannot be achieved using these methods.

Using data slices you can:

  • Slice a large volume of data by a selected attribute and run analyses only on this relevant subset of data.

  • Easily define the subset criteria—for example, based on an attribute containing date information (to filter out old or irrelevant data), or defined by country. This can be dynamic (always based on the previous day or month) or ad hoc (based on a specific range).

  • See results for the data subset.

See Supported databases for the list of databases that support data slices.

Create a data slice

Data slices are ignored when creating SQL catalog items. The full, unfiltered catalog item is used instead of the slice.

To create a data slice:

  1. In Data Catalog > Catalog Items, select the catalog item for which you want to create a data slice.

  2. Using the three dots menu, select Create data slice.

    Create data slice

    Alternatively, you can also create data slices from the Data Slices section of the catalog item Data Structure tab or in monitoring projects where data slices are already active.

  3. A Create data slice dialog opens. Define the slice:

    1. Provide a name for the new data slice.

    2. Select the Slice by attribute. This is the attribute by which the data will be filtered.

      Only attributes of Date, Datetime, String, Integer, and Long data types can be selected.

      Slice by

    3. Specify the Slice by criteria. For example, the values you are interested in (for`String` attributes), or a date range (for Date and Datetime attributes).

      If your date information is stored in a non-date attribute (such as a string), see Slice by date stored as a non-date attribute.

      • Date data type example

      • String data type example

      Slice by date attribute
      Select the time range from the options provided, or select Custom to define your own.
      Slice by string attribute
      If you are using is from list or is not from list, use the plus icon to add additional values to the list.

  4. Save and publish.

Slice by date stored as a non-date attribute

If you have date information saved as, for example, a string data type, it is still possible to slice by date.

To do this:

  1. In Slice by, select the attribute containing the data information.

  2. Select the Contains date option.

  3. From the list provided, choose the date format used in the selected attribute.

  4. You can now specify the time range of the data you are interested in.

    Date range

Where to use data slices

After creating a data slice, you can use it in two ways:

Apply a data slice to a catalog item

You can apply one data slice per catalog item. Once applied, the slice is used for all subsequent profiling, DQ evaluation, and other supported operations.

To apply a data slice:

  1. Navigate to the catalog item Overview tab.

  2. In the Summary widget, find the Applied Data Slice field and click Select.

  3. In the Select data slice dialog:

    1. Select the slice you want to apply from the list.

    2. Review the slice definition on the right.

  4. Select slice to confirm.

    Select data slice dialog

When a data slice is applied:

  • The slice name is displayed next to the catalog item name in the header, making it immediately visible that you are working with filtered data.

  • All supported operations use the sliced data instead of the full catalog item.

  • The Data tab displays only the sliced data.

To change or clear the applied data slice:

  1. Click Select in the Applied Data Slice field.

  2. In the Select data slice dialog, you can:

    • Select a different slice.

    • Edit slice to modify the current slice.

    • Clear slice to remove the applied slice and return to using the full, unfiltered catalog item.

  3. Publish the changes.

Use data slices in monitoring projects

You can use data slices within monitoring projects to evaluate only a subset of data in that specific context, without affecting the catalog item itself.

For more information, see Use data slices in monitoring projects.

View and manage data slices

To view, create, edit, or delete data slices, navigate to the Data Structure tab and find the Data Slices section.

Data slices section

Use the three dots menu to edit or delete slices.

If you edit a data slice that is currently applied to the catalog item or in used in a monitoring project, you will see a warning message. It is not possible to delete data slices that are applied to catalog items or used in a monitoring project.

Data slice in use

You can also see a summary of data slices on the catalog item Overview tab, in the Summary section.

Where data slices have been created in catalog items, you can see this information on the catalog item Overview tab.

Overview tab

Supported databases

The data slice functionality is supported for the following databases:

  • Amazon Aurora MySQL

  • Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL

  • Amazon Redshift

  • Azure Synapse Analytics

  • Azure SQL Database

  • Big Query

  • Databricks

  • MariaDB

  • MSSQL Server

  • MySQL

  • Oracle

  • PostgreSQL

  • SAP HANA

  • Snowflake

  • Teradata

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