Create and manage observers

Data Integrity Suite
Product
Spatial_Analytics
Data_Integration
Data_Enrichment
Data_Governance
Precisely_Data_Integrity_Suite
geo_addressing_1
Data_Observability
Data_Quality
dis_core_foundation
Services
Spatial Analytics
Data Integration
Data Enrichment
Data Governance
Geo Addressing
Data Observability
Data Quality
Core Foundation
ft:title
Data Integrity Suite
ft:locale
en-US
PublicationType
pt_product_guide
copyrightfirst
2000
copyrightlast
2026

When you create an Observer, you select the data assets you want to observe and define the rules you want to apply to generate alerts. You can select multiple assets from different data sources. That includes the assets cataloged in Data Integrity Suite and other Precisely applications. You also select the schedule for running the Observer.
Tip: You can create multiple Observers for a single data connection, but you cannot use the same assets across different Observers.

Before you start, check the prerequisites to create an observer.

Create an observer

To create an observer:

  1. On the main navigation menu, go to Observability > Observers and select + Create Observer.

    In the Source Data page:

    1. Select the datasets and fields that you want to observe and click Next.
  2. In the Observer Rules page:
    1. Configure the required Observer rules. Multiple Observer rules can be configured depending on the requirement. These include Freshness, Volume, Data drift, Schema drift rules.
    2. Click the gear icon in the Configure column for any rule you want to configure in the Observer.
    3. When you are done selecting the rules from the Observer Rules page, click Next.
  3. In the Finalize page,
    1. Enter the Name and Description of the observer.
    2. In the Scheduler section, select the frequency and timing of the run schedule.
    3. Start Date: Select a start date from which you want the observer to consider profiling statistics to generate alerts. This parameter helps you skip past profile runs when generating alerts. This is an optional parameter and can be configured depending on the requirement.
    4. In the Notifications section, turn on Email Notifications. Notifications are on by default during Observer creation.
    5. In the Recipients field, add an email address for each recipient who should receive alerts generated from this Observer.
  4. Click Save.

The Observer is saved, and you are redirected to the Observers page. The Observer will run at the scheduled time and notify about the unexpected changes in the data assets. If you have turned On email notifications, you will receive emails for generated alerts and failed Observers. You can edit the Observer anytime to change the Observer rule configuration.

After you create an observer

Here’s what you can expect after you create an Observer, and it begins to run.

  • First runs: After the first scheduled run, you can view the profiling information for the Observer from the Assets and Profiling tab.
  • Monitoring: After a few runs, the Observer begins to identify trends and patterns. If the system detects an anomaly, it creates an alert and notification. You can configure both the alert criteria and notifications to fine tune your monitoring.
  • Visualization: Alerts provide a reason and a visual representation of the change in values. This helps you easily identify trends and patterns at a glance.
  • Updates: You can edit Observers after their initial configuration. You can edit the Observer rules, change the data assets you are monitoring, amend notification settings, and adjust scheduling.
  • Historical data monitoring: The Observer will continue to monitor changes in your data over time. Ongoing monitoring provides historical context that for additional insights.

Search for observers

You can search for an Observer using a complete or partial name.

To search for an observer:

  1. On the main navigation menu, go to Observability > Observers.
  2. In the search field, enter a complete or partial name for an Observer.

Results matching your search string will display.

Edit an observer

You can edit an existing Observer as conditions change. For example, if you are getting more alerts than you want, you can change the configuration of the Observer rule to a more appropriate level.

To edit an existing observer:
  1. On the main navigation menu, click Observability > Observers.
  2. Click the ellipsis icon corresponding to the Observer that you want to edit and click Edit.
  3. The datasets and assets selected for the Observer display.
  4. If you want to use different datasets or assets, clear the Show selected datasets only checkbox and select the additional or different assets.
  5. Click Next.
  6. Complete the remaining steps of Observer creation, changing the configurations you want to edit.
  7. Click Save.

The Observer is saved and you are redirected to the Observers page. The Observer will run at the scheduled time and generate alerts using any new rule configuration.

Delete an observer

You can delete an Observer if it no longer serves a purpose for your organization.
Warning: You cannot undo the delete action. The asset history will be retained, and the existing alerts associated with the Observer will be deleted.
To delete an Observer:
  1. On the main navigation menu, click Observability > Observers.
  2. Click the ellipsis iconcorresponding to the observer that you want to delete and click Delete.
  3. Click Yes to confirm.
The Observer is deleted.