Configuring: Detect Inactivity

Select the calculation type, as either row based or time based, and specify a default inactivity period to be applied to selected fields to identify inactivity. Multiple fields with different inactivity periods can be selected. The dataset will be modified to replace all identified values in inactive fields with a null value.

Worked example: Detect inactivity

Steps to configure

Detect inactivity period: Select the calculation method type and define a default inactivity period.
Field selection: Select the fields that you want to check for inactivity.
Field periods: Customize specific inactivity periods for each field, if the default inactivity period is not applicable to all.
Execution: The dataset will be modified, replacing all the inactive periods with null values.

Step 1: Detect inactivity period

Select the calculation type used to determine periods of inactivity and define a default inactivity period. Calculation types can either be row based or time based.

Row based: specify the number of rows for which it is acceptable that the value of the field stays the same. After this number of rows with constant values, the field will be deemed inactive, and the values will be set as null.
The period to be configured later should be an integer if [Row based] was selected as the calculation type.
Timestamp based: specify the amount of time in seconds for which it is acceptable that the value of the field stays the same. After this time period with constant values, the field will be deemed inactive, and the values will be set as null.
The timestamp based radio button and the timestamp field text box are disabled if no timestamp fields are present in the selected dataset.
Default: row based calculation type, default period will be 0.
Minimum configuration: the default period must be greater than 0. Period should be an integer if [Row based] was selected as the calculation type.

Step 2: Field selection

Select fields to monitor for inactivity.

If you select the calculation type as timestamp based, the timestamp fields won’t be listed.
Default: all fields are selected, except for the timestamp field if timestamp based calculation is used.
Minimum configuration: at least one field must be selected.

Step 3: Field period

Enter the specific inactivity periods for each of the selected fields, if you want them to differ from the default. You can enter a different period for each field.

This is an optional step; if you want the default period to apply for each selected field, you can skip this step.
Invalid periods will be reverted back to the previous value, once you click outside the text box.
Periods should be integers if row based was selected as the calculation type.
Periods should be greater than 0.
Default: periods for all fields will be set to the default period.
Minimum configuration: all fields must have a period entered.

Step 4: Execution

The dataset will be modified. Fields will be deemed inactive if the values stays the same for longer than the specified number of rows or time span defined as acceptable. The values of the inactive fields will be set as null, and marked as bad quality.