PostgreSQL Server Transformation

The PostgreSQL Server Transformation is used in the enterprise version of process.science for Power BI to prepare the data. The package is designed to transform the data from the Postgre database into a form that is suitable for Power BI. It creates four tables that can be used for analysis in Power BI.

Preparing the input table

Before the scripts can be used, you must ensure that your input table fulfils the following requirements. The column names for case_id, activity and timestamp are fixed and must be present in your input table. The other names can be changed in the script.

Field Name	Description	Data Type	Mandatory
case_id	Through this field the process instances can be differentiated.	varchar	✓
activity	This field describes the activity that has taken place.	varchar	✓
activity_grouped	This field describes the group of the activity that has taken place.	varchar	✗
timestamp	This field describes when an event has taken place.	timestamp	✓
timestamp_end	This field can be used to calculate the duration of activities.	timestamp	✗
sort_key	This field can be used to adjust the sorting of the event log.	numeric	✗
value	This allows you to set the costs for the current event.	numeric	✗
automated	This allows you to set wether the activity was automated or not.	numeric	✗
resource	This allows you to set user information for each activity.‚	Any	✗
Additional Activity Values	Further information per activity, e.g. quantity of items. All fields, not matching other names will be mapped as additional activity values and will be stored in the newly created event log table.	Any	✗
Additional Cases Values	Further information per case, e.g. a company division. All fields starting with case_ will be mapped as additional cases values and will be stored in the newly created cases table.	Any	✗
Additional Activity Values Grouped	Further information per activity group, e.g. quantity of items. All fields ending with _grouped will be mapped as additional activity group values and will be stored in the newly created event log table.	Any	✗

Downloading the scripts

The scripts can always be downloaded in the latest version from our Self Service Portal. The scripts are contained in a ZIP file and must be unpacked.

Installation and configuration

Customise scheme

If the output schema is not public, you must adapt the scripts to use the correct schema. To do this, replace public with the desired schema.

Creating the static tables

1. open the script 1_CreateStaticTables.sql and execute it in your database.
2. the script creates the tables filter_and, filter_or and if the grouped calculation is to take place also the tables filter_and_grouped, filter_or_grouped and activity_group_map in your output schema.

This script must be executed whenever the structure of the input table changes.

Creating the procedures

The next step is to create the procedures that write the data to the tables. To do this, the scripts 2_CreateEventLogProcedure.sql, 3_CreateEventLogGroupedProcedure.sql, 4_CreateAdditionalGroupedTablesProcedure.sql , 5_CreateCasesDataProcedure.sql must be executed. This only needs to be done once.

Event log

The procedure ps_createEventLogDataTable creates the table eventlog in your output schema and fills it with the data from the input table. All additional columns that do not begin with case_ or end with _grouped are stored in the eventlog table.

CREATE OR REPLACE PROCEDURE public.ps_createEventLogTable(
    SchemaName              TEXT,
    TableName               TEXT,
    ActivityGroupedName     TEXT,
    TimestampEndName        TEXT,
    ValueName               TEXT,
    AutomatedName           TEXT,
    ResourceName            TEXT,
    SortKeyName             TEXT
)

If the dynamic columns (timestamp_end, sort_key, value, automated and resource) are not present in the input table, they are automatically filled with default values.

Event log grouped

The procedure ps_createEventLogGroupedTable creates the table eventlog_grouped in your output schema and fills it with the data from the input table. This script is only executed if the grouped calculation is to take place, i.e. the activity_grouped column is present in the input table. All additional columns with the suffix _grouped are saved in the eventlog_grouped table.

CREATE OR REPLACE PROCEDURE public.ps_createEventLogGroupedTable(
    SchemaName              TEXT,
    TableName               TEXT,
    ActivityGroupedName     TEXT,
    TimestampEndName        TEXT,
    ValueName               TEXT,
    AutomatedName           TEXT,
    ResourceName            TEXT,
    SortKeyName             TEXT,
    INOUT success_flag      INTEGER
)

Additional grouped tables

The procedure ps_createAdditionalGroupedTables creates the tables filter_and_grouped and filter_or_grouped. This procedure is only executed if the grouped calculation is to take place.

CREATE OR REPLACE PROCEDURE public.ps_createAdditionalGroupedTables()

Case table

The procedure ps_createCasesDataTable creates the table cases_data in your output schema and fills it with the data from the input table. All additional columns beginning with case_ are stored in the cases_data table.

CREATE OR REPLACE PROCEDURE public.ps_createCasesDataTable(
    SchemaName                  TEXT,
    TableName                   TEXT,
    PerformGroupedCalculation   INT
)

Loading the data

To load the data, the script 6_CreatePerformTransformationProcedure.sql must be executed. This script creates a procedure that calls all other procedures that write the data to the tables. In this script, the information on the input table and the dynamic columns must be adapted above.

DECLARE
    -- **************** Define the table and column names here ********************** --
    SchemaName                  TEXT := 'public';              -- Change input schema name here
    TableName                   TEXT := 'eventlog_en';         -- Change input event log name here
    ActivityGroupedName         TEXT := 'activity_grouped';    -- Change activity_grouped column name here
    TimestampEndName            TEXT := 'timestamp_end';       -- Change timestamp_end column name here
    ValueName                   TEXT := 'activity_cost';       -- Change value column name here
    AutomatedName               TEXT := 'automated';           -- Change automated column name here
    ResourceName                TEXT := 'user_name';           -- Change resource column name here
    SortKeyName                 TEXT := 'sort_key';            -- Change sort_key column name here
    PerformGroupedCalculation   INT;                            -- DO NOT CHANGE OR REMOVE
    -- **************** Define the table and column names here ********************** --

Once this procedure has been created, it can be executed to write the data to the tables.

CALL public.ps_PerformTransformation();

Scheduling

You can use a tool of your choice to automate the last Call. This allows you to update your data regularly and always see the latest information in Power BI. Tools such as PgAgent or cronjobs can be used for this.