Understand the Date DW Modified field

The Date DW Modified field is a timestamp field included in most tables within Enterprise Insights (EI). It records the last time a record was changed in the data warehouse. This helps you track when data was updated, manage incremental data loads, and ensure your reports reflect the latest information. 

Because the field can also be updated as a result of system changes introduced in new versions of EI, it's important to understand how it works. This article will detail the types of changes that can update the field, to help you troubleshoot any discrepancies in your data

How does Date DW Modified work?

Whenever a record is created, updated, or deleted, the Date DW Modified field is updated. This includes changes from inside Jira Align. For example, when a user edits a date field on an epic, the Date DW Modified field reflects the time of that change. 

Because this field monitors any changes to an entire table, it can also update as a result of changes we make to the data model, or when enhancing Enterprise Insights. The field will update when:  

• Fields are added or removed from an EI table, or lookup table values are changed
• Bulk internal EI operations (like HTML parsing or data archival) occur
• Schema changes (such as adding, renaming, or removing columns) are made

How can I use the field?

There are a few use cases for benefiting from this field:

• For incremental loads: Use Date DW Modified to identify records changed since your last load.
• Auditing changes: Check the Date DW Modified value for a record.

Be aware that some updates may be system-driven. Review each versions release notes and communications about upcoming changes that may affect this field.

Proposed future improvements

Because the field can be updated both by intentional actions in Jira Align, as well as actions we make to enhance EI, we are considering a few changes:

1. New field for user changes: A new field, purpose built for identifying intentional changes, will capture only user-driven updates like create, update, and delete. System changes would continue to update the existing field.
2. Refined logic for deletion or archival actions in a new version: Will prevent unnecessary updates to modification dates for inactive records.
3. Schema change tracking table: A dedicated table could track schema and bulk changes, so only genuinely affected records are updated.
4. Proactive communication: We’ll provide advanced notifications and call-out changes in release notes that may impact the Date DW Modified field.

We value your input on these proposed enhancements. If you have specific questions, ideas, or requests for working with this field in EI, please contact Atlassian Support to provide details. We'll provide more details about pending changes in enterprise insights release notes as we finalize the functionality.