New Features

Excel Add-in Validation

The Excel Add-in was extended so that it is now possible to execute a Validation directly from data currently present in an Excel sheet.

Import Knowledge Bases using External Connections

It is now possible to use an existing External Connection to import a Knowledge Base. After selecting the provider on the Import Knowledge Base page, a Tab ‘Use Existing’ can be opened if a matching connection was found. Click on the shown connection to continue the Import process.

Save External Connection during Knowledge Base Import

In the first step of the Import Knowledge Base process, it is now possible to click on Save Connection to change the form to add an External Connection. On clicking Next, the External Connection is persisted and the Import process continues as per usual.

Advanced Flow Editor

A new Flow Editor was added to allow for easier restructuring of the Flow without immediate invalidity hints. In the Advanced Flow Editor it is possible to alter the connections between the Business Rules freely even if it results in Cycles or Orphans. The changes will not be saved directly but collected and only persisted after clicking on the Save Button.

Following Options are available:

• Validate: Validates the current flow and displays error hints on Nodes.
• Format: Arranges the Nodes with the Network Simplex Algorithm .
• Discard: Resets the Flow to the currently persisted State.
• Cancel: Returns to the Regular Flow Display without persisting changes.
• Save: Verifies the validity and persists the changes.
• Remove Business Rule: The Trash icon on the Nodes will remove the Business Rule.
• Remove Connection: The X icon on the connection will remove this specific Connection.
• Add Connection: Drag and Drop a line from the Valid/Invalid handle of one Node to the target handle of another Node.
• Add Business Rule: Drag and Drop a Connection from the Valid/Invalid handle onto an empty space. Alternatively CTRL+Click on an empty space in the canvas.
• Rename a Business Rule: Double click on the label of a Node and enter the new name. Pressing Enter or leaving the Node will end renaming.
• Mark Multiple Business Rules: Hold down SHIFT and draw an rectangle over the nodes to be marked. Alternatively, hold CTRL while clicking on a Business Rule.
• Copy & Paste: Marked Business Rules can be copied and pasted between Rulebooks of the same Knowledge Base.

Welcome Page Improvements

Following up the list view released last time, the Welcome Page has received more improvements.

Favorites

HEDDA.IO  now supports marking Projects, Knowledge Bases and their content as favorite. The favorite icon, a star, can be found in the top right of the Details areas where a favorite can be set or removed.

The Welcome Page also now has a tab for Favorites next to Projects. There you can see your Favorites, edit and remove them or open them by clicking of the Favorite. The Favorite can be viewed as cards or as list. This can be switched with the “Show View” icon on the right of the tabs.

More information can be found in the User Documentation.

Monitoring Hub

The Monitoring Hub offers a quick and easy way to see if recent Executions have finished successfully.

On the details page of a Run, the Run can be added to Monitoring by clicking on the “Add to Monitoring” tile under Statistics.

Run Executions of these Runs are then shown under the tab Monitoring Hub on the Welcome Page. By default, the Executions of the last seven days are shown without Preview Executions. By clicking on an Execution, the respective Execution is opened.

Filter Functionality on the Home Page

A filter functionality has been added to the Home Page. With this, it is possible to filter your Projects, Favorites and the Monitoring Hub.

Projects, Favorites and Monitored Run Executions can be filtered by their name using the Search field. Favorites can be filtered by type using a dropdown. Monitored Run Executions can also be filtered by date and Executions started using Preview can be filtered as well. Previews are hidden by default.

In addition, Projects can be filtered by your User’s permission:

• Only Manage: Show all Projects where you have Manage permissions.
• Only Write: Show all Projects where you have Write permissions.
• Only Read: Show all Projects where you have Read permissions.
• Owner: Only show Projects where you are the Project Owner.
• Involved: For Superadmins only. Shows all Project where you are either Owner or User.

Audit Portal

The Audit Portal lets users see all changes made to the Knowledge Base since it was created. It shows what was modified, what type of component it is (like Domains, Rulebooks, and so on), when the change happened, who made the change, the Knowledge Base version at the time, whether it was added, removed, or changed, and if the component is published or still a draft. Users can filter by specific component types and states, or set a custom date range, making it easy to track and review all updates.

The Audit Portal ensures full traceability and easy navigation through the Knowledge Base history.

Improvements

Rulebook Display Improved

The Rulebook Flow Screen was Improved to make it easier to grasp each Node.

The following changes were applied:

• Added contrast to Heading to distinguish easier between Nodes on low contrast monitors.
• Reduced Node height to fit more Nodes on screen.
• Moved Information about Actions and Preparations to Heading Icons to make it easier to see its status.
• Changed display of Data Quality Dimensions so that its value is recognized more easily.
• Enlarged Node Handles to make it easier to select them.

API

API Server

Some ApiServer Endpoints were extended to not only be called using the name but also by using its id.

• Project: /api/Project/{nameOrId}
• Knowledge Base: /api/Project/{projectId}/KnowledgeBase/{nameOrId}
• Run: /api/Project/{projectId}/KnowledgeBase/{kbId}/Run/{nameOrId}
• Lookup: /api/Project/{projectId}/KnowledgeBase/{kbId}/Lookup/{nameOrId}/data

Execute Preview Endpoint

Api Surface for starting a Preview was improved.

• Only properties describing the DataSource are now necessary.
• It is now possible to send data directly to the Preview Endpoint to get verified.

Runner

If a Run has no Mapping, a default Mapping will be assumed. This default Mapping will match each Domain to a field of the same name in the data source. A Run will fail if not all Domains are matched. In this case, a new Mapping needs to be created and configured to match the Domains.

In addition, a default Run will be created if a new Knowledge Base is created. This will not change existing Knowledge Bases.

PyheddaIO Runner

The PyheddaIO was rewritten and is now based on an Inter Operational approach with the Dotnet Runner directly in spark Environments. There are now three Options to choose from:

• local (default): Fast for smaller datasets which might be executed on the driver node.
• spark: Fast for larger datasets. Work will be distributed on multiple Workers.
  • Downside: Gathering of Domain Statistics and execution of DataSet Rules is slow. Having many Lookups is also detrimental as they need to be gathered in every spawned process.
• external: In general decent performance.
  • Downside: Has overhead of starting the external Runner and moving data to and from it.

Bugfixes

• Operators in Conditions and Actions now update in the UI if the Domain changes its datatype.
• Run Execution Scores are now always rounded down to the next lowest percentage value.
• Knowledge Base Dropdowns in dynamic forms now sort Knowledge Bases in ascending order.