Migrating to 4.0
If you're using version 3.0 and wish to migrate to 4.0, please submit migration request here.
Introduction
This document is designed to assist Holistics customers in understanding the process of migrating from version 3.0 to version 4.0. It provides guidance on the migration process, from planning to execution, and covers the changes that come with version 4.0. Our goal is to ensure a successful migration to the new version.
What is Holistics 4.0?
Holistics 4.0 is the latest version of our analytics platform, introducing a range of new concepts and features. It is designed for analytics leaders who prioritize control, scalability, and collaboration in their analytics processes.
Your experience remains unchanged with Holistics 4.0. Non-technical business users continue to benefit from our self-service analytics capabilities, while data teams will now have the ability to define analytics logic using code.
Holistics 3.0 vs 4.0
✅ In comparison to its previous version (Holistics 3.0), Holistics 4.0 offers:
- Analytics-as-code: Holistics 4.0 introduces AMQL (Analytics Modeling and Query Language), allowing users to do analytics work using Holistics's code languages.
- Git Version Control: The new version utilizes Git for code management, allowing users to track changes, create branches, and review code for quality and collaboration.
- dbt Integration: Holistics 4.0 also features a seamless integration with dbt transformations, which improves metadata consistency and reporting accuracy.
- Canvas Dashboard: Holistics 4.0 introduces Canvas Dashboards, enabling you to create versatile and interactive data presentations. Additionally, it supports version tracking through Git for seamless version management.
- And so much more.
See 3.0 vs 4.0 Feature Comparison for a high-level comparison between features between 3.0 and the new 4.0.
🤔 Some other considerations before migrating to Holistics 4.0:
- Deprecation of Data Imports: Holistics 4.0 will not support ETL capabilities (Data Import). Please migrate all data import jobs out of your Holistics instance and delete any import operations before proceeding with the migration. We believe that there are already existing market solutions that effectively address this challenge.
- Data Persistence Mechanism Change:
- In Holistics 4.0, each execution of a persistence job generates new names for persisted tables, unlike in Holistics 3.0 where tables maintained consistent naming. This is because persisted tables (in version 4.0) function as a caching layer to boost query performance and are not intended for direct reuse.
- If you require consistent naming for your persisted tables, we recommend creating a view through our Holistics 4.0 persistence option.
- Modeling Workflow Change:
- In Holistics 4.0, Dataset development has been integrated into the Modeling layer and is developed alongside Models.
- Both Models and Datasets now offer an additional code-based view, complementing the GUI view available in version 3.0.
- Holistics 4.0 also introduces an extra publish workflow to seamlessly push changes from the Modeling phase to Reporting/Production (while in 3.0 version, each changes will take effect on Reporting/Production immediately).
Can I test out Holistics 4.0 before deciding to migrate?
Yes! And we strongly encourage you to do so. There are a few ways you can test out Holistics 4.0.
- Request a demo call: Our team will be delighted to provide you with a personalized demo session, addressing any questions you may have about the migration process.
- Use our Public Demo Account (Holistics 4.0) : You can access a sandbox account of a shared public instance to test out the platform as an admin (non-analyst) user. This allows you to experience the data modeling and dashboard creation process.
- Request a new private trial account: You can sign up for a separate private trial account from our trial sign-up page.
Is there a price difference between 3.0 and 4.0?
Yes, with the release of Holistics 4.0, a different pricing model is introduced, which means your existing pricing plan will need to be replaced.
To find out more about the pricing changes, submit a migration request using this form and our team will reach out with the relevant information.
What will happen with version 3.0? Will I be forced to upgrade to 4.0 in the future?
We do not assume all existing Holistics 3.0 customers will feel compelled to upgrade to Holistics 4.0, nor is it our priority to encourage them to do so.
Even if we do decide to have all of our 3.0 customers upgrade to Holistics 4.0, we do not anticipate this happening until at least June 2025.
Will you still continue to build new features for version 3.0?
Holistics 4.0 brings a new architecture that enables us to expand analytics capabilities beyond what is available in 3.0. While version 3.0 will continue to receive regular updates, it is worth noting that major feature developments will primarily be focused on Holistics 4.0. This is due to the fact that these developments leverage the new architecture, allowing us to deliver more features and functionalities.
Migrating to 4.0
How can I request to migrate?
To upgrade to the Holistics version 4.0, please complete this form below:
Pre-migration Checklist
- Compatibility Check: Ensure you are using Holistics 3.0 version.
- To check which version you are on, please refer to this documentation.
- Clean up unsupported features
- Since Data Imports are no longer supported in Holistics 4.0, ensure that you have migrated all your import jobs out of Holistics before proceeding with the migration.
- Book a migration timeslot: Schedule a migration date and time with Holistics team.
- Inform your team members: Notify your team members to refrain from accessing Holistics during the migration process.
During Migration
- Migration Duration: The process may take up to 4 hours during Singapore office hours (GMT+8). Once the migration timeslot is confirmed, notify your users that Holistics will be unavailable during this period.
- Backup & Restore: Your Holistics account will be backed up before the migration takes place. In the event of any issues, we can restore your account to its previous version.
Post-migration Checklist
- Verify that everything works correctly
- What you should check:
- Dataset Validation: Open each datasets and ensure they load properly. Verify that you can explore the datasets and perform necessary operations.
- Dashboard Validation: Confirm your dashboards load correctly and display expected data.
How will Holistics handle unexpected issues?
In the event of any issues, Holistics has measures in place to address them:
- If certain reports and dashboards do not load properly after the migration, manual fixes may be required. Our team will provide guidance and support to help resolve these issues.
- Holistics is committed to providing dedicated support throughout and after the migration. If you encounter any problems with your reports and dashboards, reach out to us at [email protected] for assistance.
FAQs
1. Will my dashboards' URLs change?
No, the URLs of your dashboards will remain the same as before the migration.
2. How will the migration affect existing data connections and integrations with external systems?
The migration process will not have any impact on your existing data connections and integrations with external systems. They will continue to function as they did in the previous version.
3. Will there be any changes to the data access permissions or user roles after the migration?
No, the data access permissions and user roles will remain unchanged from the previous version. You will have the same level of control and access as before.
4. What about all of my existing scheduled and embedded jobs?
Your existing scheduled and embedded jobs will remain unaffected. However, Data Import model jobs will be removed.
5. How will this migration affect my embedded dashboards?
While we anticipate a smooth transition for most embedded dashboards, there is a possibility of encountering errors if the migration script misses some configurations from the original dashboards. In such cases, you may need to manually resolve any issues with the original dashboard.