What are Smart Tables in Analytics Canvas?
Smart Tables are tables that are either created within Analytics Canvas Online using the Table export, tables created from ingesting data from any data source into Canvas Online (such as Sheets or Google Analytics), or tables created from publishing data to Analytics Canvas Online from Analytics Canvas Desktop or Server.
These tables are accessed within the Tables menu and offer a number of benefits, including:
- unlimited storage by region in optimized BigQuery tables so that they are fast to query over and inexpensive to hold
- versioning of each data load, including the ability to easily roll-back to earlier versions
- knowledge of where they are being used and links to those workflows and automation jobs
- being shared throughout the subscription for other users to employ in their workflows
- meta data into each table, such as size, query, and when it was last updated
As such, Smart Tables can be used to create your own data-mart within Analytics Canvas, and are an ideal alternative to standing up your own datamart, managing a separate database for your project, or for holding large volumes of data in cases where you do not have access to a database.
⚠️ Tables cannot be used across regions. For example, a Table created in "Australia-Northeast1" can only be used in a Canvas created in Australia Northeast1.
Tables Navigation Menu
A list of all Smart Tables can be accessed through the Tables menu, at the top of the left navigation menu.
You will see the tables organized by BigQuery data location. Similar to Canvases, Tables reside in a specific data location and cannot be queried from outside of that location.
Tables that are not being used in Canvases can be deleted from the account using the Delete button next to the table name.
Click on the edit (pencil) icon next to each table name to bring up the Table Details, or click on the Analytics Canvas icon to show Canvases using the table.
Table Details
By clicking on a table, you bring up table details where you can see and set the table version, preview data, access the table load settings, and more.
To roll back to a previous version of a table, click the table, then click the drop down selector showing the table version. You can then select any previous version and roll back to it.
To manage how many version of each table will be kept, click "Manage previous versions".
The Data Preview shows 100 rows of data from the most recent version of the table.
The Columns tab shows a list of each column in the resulting table.
The Query tab shows the query itself (SQL or the API call) together with a link to edit the query.
The Data Load Settings tab shows how the data is being loaded (incremental load vs full load) and what the refresh settings are.
The Canvases using this Table tab shows where the table is being used. The lock icon means that the table is being used in an Automation task and cannot be edited.
Accessing Smart Tables from within a Canvas
Within a canvas, tables that were created by using the Analytics Canvas Cloud Table Output block, either in Analytics Canvas Desktop or Online, will be found under Add Data > Tables.
For Tables that originate as Google Sheets, Database tables, or Google Analytics queries, will appear under their respective connectors.