Working with Time Labeled Viewpoints

Time labeled viewpoints enable you to access data in a node set from a historical point in time.

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Learn how to use time labeled viewpoints to access data in a node set from a historical point in time to assist in comparing, reporting, and analyzing data.	Working with Time Labeled Viewpoints

Each time labeled viewpoint uses a single time label, and you can create different types of time labeled viewpoints based on different business needs. For example, you could create a rolling time labeled viewpoint that compares Entity data to history on a quarterly basis, or you could create a fixed time label for a Cost Center hierarchy to use as a reference before a reorganization.

Before you create a time labeled viewpoint, you must create the time label itself. See Creating, Editing, and Deleting Time Labels.

When you create a time labeled viewpoint, you should use a node set that contains the historical data that you want to view. The following diagram demonstrates that you can use the same node set for both a normal and a time labeled viewpoint. You can view and edit data in the normal viewpoint, but the time labeled viewpoint is read only.

Considerations

• You must have the Owner permission on a view as well as the Data Manager or Metadata Manager permission on the data objects in that view in order to create a time labeled viewpoint for it.
• Time labeled viewpoints are read only. You cannot modify any data in a time labeled viewpoint. That means the following operations are not available:
  • Requests
  • Imports and Viewpoint Loads
  • Subscriptions

  You can perform read only operations such as searching, comparing, extracting (Full extracts only), and downloading from time labeled viewpoints.

• Time labeled viewpoints cannot be bound to an external application and thus cannot be used in imports or exports.
• You cannot use time labeled viewpoints in viewpoint queries, and you cannot validate a time labeled viewpoint.
• A user's current viewpoint permissions determine their data access in a time labeled viewpoint. That means that if a user currently has access to viewpoint data they will be able to view that data, even if they did not have access to that viewpoint data in the associated time period for the time label.
• Time labeled viewpoints can access data only for time periods after the creation date of the node set for the viewpoint.
• The properties that are displayed in time labeled viewpoints are based on the current properties for each node type in the node set:
  • If a property for a node type exists now that did not exist at the associated time period for the time label, the property is displayed with no value in the viewpoint.
  • If a property for a node type does not exist now but did exist at the associated time period for the time label, the property is not displayed in the viewpoint.
• Time labeled viewpoints use historical property parameters as they existed at the associated time period for the time label in order to determine property values. These include:
  • Allowed or invalid values
  • Inherited values
  • Derived values based on expressions

  However, if you inspect a property in a time labeled viewpoint, the inspector uses the current property parameters to determine the property value.

  For example, if the Alias property was derived from the node name at the time of the historical time label but was later changed so that now it is derived from the node name plus the description, a time labeled viewpoint using that time label will display the node name as the Alias. But if you inspect the Alias property, the node name plus the description will be displayed in the inspector.

• Node history in time labeled viewpoints is displayed up to the specified date and time that is configured in the time label.