About Attribute Pipelines

Attribute pipelines are the next level down from the entity pipeline in your unified customer data model. They enable you to interact with the attributes in each entity pipeline. This is where you define the mapping between the attributes within the entities from the various synapses you have connected to Syncari. Attribute pipelines run in response to changes in the attribute.

You can also create an attribute pipeline with the Attribute Mapper. When you map files using the Attribute Mapper you create a basic attribute pipeline for each row. If you want to add any logic to the mapping, you need to do that in the attribute pipeline.

Open an Attribute Pipeline in Pipeline Studio 

➡️ To open an attribute pipeline select the Syncari node, and then select the attribute from the panel on the right.

Notice the highlights on the attributes which indicate the mapping status of the attributes.

• No highlight indicates the attribute has no draft. If it includes this icon , it hasn't been mapped. If you don't see the icon, it has a published mapping.
  
• Yellow highlights indicate there is a draft of the mapping.
• Green highlights indicate the attribute is mapped and ready to be published along with the entity pipeline.

Draft and Publish

Syncari uses the draft and published model for attribute pipelines too. You cannot publish an individual attribute pipeline separate from the entity pipeline, but you can choose which attribute pipelines to publish along with the entity pipeline. To help stay organized you can mark an attribute pipeline Ready.

If you've never mapped an attribute—through the attribute mapper or on the canvas—and you open the attribute pipeline, Syncari prompts you to create a draft. Click any of the Create a pipeline draft buttons to continue.

Attribute Pipeline Overview

The attribute pipeline shows the relationship between a source attribute, the Syncari attribute, and an optional destination attribute. You can add logic to the pipeline with the options available on the attribute pipeline panel on the right side. Review this screenshot to see what you can do with an attribute pipeline. 

1. The breadcrumbs in Pipeline Studio show you which entity and attribute pipeline you're in. Use breadcrumbs to navigate between attributes. 
2. Return to entity pipeline.
3. Switch between draft and published versions.
4. Ready to Publish—Select to mark the attribute pipeline Ready.
5. Save Draft is activated when you have unsaved changes. Although Syncari saves the draft automatically when you perform specific actions, we recommend saving often.
6. Validate checks for errors in the construction of your attribute pipeline. Syncari runs through each node one at a time to check for errors (see Validating Pipelines).
7. Test opens the test menu where you can run a variety of tests on the entity pipeline. While validation checks the construction of the pipeline, tests check the logic of the pipeline by running the pipeline on selected records (see Testing Pipelines).
8. The trash can deletes the draft entity pipeline and any attribute pipelines in it. See Interacting with Attribute Pipelines.
9. The attribute pipeline panel changes based on which nodes you select in the pipeline. 
10. This is a source attribute node for this attribute pipeline. Source nodes are where data comes into Syncari.
11. This is the Syncari node for this attribute pipeline. The Syncari node stores data within the Syncari unified data model.
12. This is a synapse destination node for this entity pipeline. Source nodes are where Syncari sends data.
13. Use the slider to zoom in and out of the canvas view.

Attribute Pipeline Options

Review this screenshot to see how to interact with your attribute pipeline.

1. Functions—Select this tab to access the functions you can use in the attribute pipeline (see Attribute Functions).
2. Actions—Select this tab to access the actions you can execute in the attribute pipeline (see Actions).
3. Sync from Entities—Select this tab to access the entities that you can use as sources for the attribute pipeline. The entities are defined by which synapses are connected at the entity level (see Create Attribute Pipelines).
4. Sync to Entities—Select this tab to access the entities that you can use as destinations for the attribute pipeline. The entities are defined by which synapses are connected at the entity level (see Create Attribute Pipelines).
5. Fragments—Select this tab to access the functionality templates that you can reuse within an entity pipeline (see Fragments).