PolyData FAQ

Get started with PolyData Dashboards and Reporting.

What is OAC?

Oracle Analytics Cloud (OAC) is the platform used to create PolyData Dashboards.

Why doesn't the information on the dashboard reflect today’s CMS updates?

PolyData Dashboards data is pulled from the PolyData Warehouse, which is refreshed each evening.

How do I know the data refresh has been completed when I start using the dashboard in the morning?

Within a dashboard from the top right corner of each page, check the Important Information box to see the date and time the data refresh was last completed.

What does it mean when I get a "max length" error instead of report results?

If more than 1,100,000 rows meet the criteria you have requested, you may get a "max length" error. Narrow your page and/or analysis selections and click Apply again. Report the issue to the functional owner for the dashboard if you need the ability to request information through the dashboard that is expected to exceed 1,100,000 rows.

How do I set which dashboard I want to see first when I log in to My Cal Poly Portal/PolyData Dashboards?

Click My Account at the top right corner of the screen. Under Preferences, there is a drop-down choice for Starting Page. Select the one you want to be your default each time you log in.

Why did I need to log in to PolyData Dashboards again when I went back to something I’d been working on earlier in the day?

To protect Cal Poly information, if your dashboard session has been inactive for more than 90 minutes, the session will time out.

When I changed my view selection, nothing happened.

Click Refresh. This seems to occur using Firefox, not Chrome or Internet Explorer.

Where can I get additional information about a specific dashboard?

From the top right of the screen, in the Important Information, there may be an About this Page link. Click this link for more detailed information.

For general information about dashboards, click on the Welcome dashboard. 

Where do I go to find the definition of fields in column selector drop-down choices?

When this information is available, you will see an About this Page link.

Do PolyData Dashboards replace PeopleSoft?

No, PolyData Dashboards are in addition to the information available through the PeopleSoft CMS system.

What if I do not see the PolyData Dashboards link on My Cal Poly Portal?

If you don't see the PolyData Dashboards link, under My Apps click on Hide/Show Links, check the box for the link, then click the Save button.

What if I do not see the dashboard that I'm trying to get to?

If you have not submitted a CMS request, the dashboard will not be displayed.

Learn more about Action Links.

Refresh:

How do I reload just the data in a dashboard and not the entire browser window?

Reloading your browser to refresh a dashboard will reload the entire page, and you will lose any selections you've already made, like prompt modifications. To only refresh the data values, From the top right corner of the dashboard, click the Gear icon > Refresh. 

Back or Return:

Why did the internet "back" arrow not take me back to the previous screen exactly as it was?

To go back to a PolyData dashboard, always use the Return action link associated with the analysis and not the browser back arrow. It is not reliable for navigation within the dashboards.

This applies any time the Return action link is available, including when you are returning from a drill to detail or returning to the start of a hierarchy drill. If you have changed a column selector selection and want to go back, you will need to re-select the column selection, or from Page Options, click Clear My Customization.

Why don’t I see the "Return" action link under a specific analysis?

The Back and Return action links are only activated when a drill is done. Back will take you one step back in a hierarchy drill. Return will take you to the start of the current hierarchy drill and is also used to return from a drill to detail.

Export (Download):

When using Safari, I am prompted to "allow" the download when the export is selected.

This is normal. You can disable this by going to Preferences > Downloads in Safari and selecting Allow.

When I download a table, are all results downloaded or only the rows displayed on the screen?

The entire table is downloaded.

If there is a table view and additional information (chart, text, etc.) in the same analysis, will just the table be downloaded to Excel?

When you download to Excel, all of the information shown on the screen for that analysis (at the time of download) will be included in the Excel spreadsheet: tables, text, charts (download as pictures, not data), etc.

What happens to the data when I download it to Excel?

Be aware of the following when you download to Excel:

• Indicators (flags, circles, gauges, etc.) will download as objects or pictures. These will not sort when the spreadsheet is sorted. It is recommended that you pick a view that does not include indicators when downloading.

• Formulas are not downloaded. The value in a cell is downloaded as that value, not as a formula.

• Monetary columns download as numbers. Values with commas are formatted as numbers and retain formatting displayed on the dashboard, i.e., if two decimal places are shown, then those appear in Excel.

• Monetary columns without a comma are formatted as general, a number but with no specific number format. The value does not change, but decimal places are suppressed if zeros appear to the right of the decimal place.

• Columns that are numeric and contain values with leading zeros drop the leading zeros when downloaded to Excel.

• Some numeric values may download as text. Please verify value formats in Excel before adding aggregation calculations.

What is the difference between download to Excel and download to Data?

Download to Excel puts the values displayed on the screen report in an Excel spreadsheet. You can then manipulate and format the data using Excel.
Download to Data creates a CSV (Comma Separated Values) file, which includes all of the data fields in the query (not just what's displayed on the screen). Formatting from the screen will not be carried over to the file.

After I sorted a table in the dashboard and then downloaded the table, the download file/spreadsheet was not in the same sequence the table was displayed in.

If the downloaded file/spreadsheet is not in the sequence you want, then sort the downloaded data. This is a known issue that only occurs some of the time. 

When I download to Data, how do I know what fields will be included in the downloaded file?

Download to Data will include all fields that were part of the underlying query, so you can't tell just by looking at the dashboard report results. All of the detail fields displayed in the current view will be included. Rows containing calculated totals are not included. If having this information readily available is a requirement for a particular dashboard page, submit a request to the functional owner for a view (table or text) showing all fields used in the underlying query.

When I click "Download," after not having been active in the dashboard for a short period, nothing happens.

To protect Cal Poly information, your dashboard session will time out if it has been inactive for a period of time. You will be asked to log in again. If you switch to a new page or dashboard, click Apply, etc.
If you're on a Mac using Firefox and click on an Action Link, there is currently no message. Click Apply and log in again if requested, then click the Download action link to continue with your download request.

Print:

When I print a table, are all results printed or only the rows displayed on the screen?

Only the rows shown on the screen are printed.

Will report headers and footers show on the printed report results?

If the report includes a header or footer, it will appear on the PDF or HTML version of the report. Headers and footers do not appear on the dashboard, or the Excel or Data downloaded versions of the results.

Bookmarks:

How is a bookmark created?

Visit Create Bookmark Links. Alternatively, create a bookmark from a Bookmark action link that appears at the bottom of an analysis. A bookmark action link appears at the bottom of an analysis when it is accessed via drill from summary view.

How is "save current customization" different from "create bookmark link"?

The bookmark link will return you to the page with default selections. It does not save the selections, like column selections and drills, when the bookmark is created. Save Current Customization saves all formatting (drills, column selectors, page prompts, views, etc.) displayed when the save is done. Remember to click Apply before saving selections to ensure the desired settings are saved.

How permanent is a bookmark link?

Not currently known. It may be temporary (30 days).

When I send a bookmark link to someone, do they just see my request?

No. Best practice is for them to log in through the My Cal Poly Portal and then click the link you sent. If they are not already logged in, they will be asked to log into the Portal. They will then be in the PolyData dashboard when they view the link.

Why did the link I added to Favorites not work?

To save or share a PolyData dashboard link, you need first to click Create Bookmark Links, then you can save or share the URL. This option is available as an action link if you have drilled to detail or as a drop-down selection under Page Options from the main dashboard page. It is not known how permanent these bookmark links are.

When I use my Bookmark link, am I seeing current information?

Yes. The report results will reflect current Data Warehouse information, not information when the bookmark link was created.

Can I use PolyData Dashboards on Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Safari?

Yes, PolyData Dashboards works in all current versions of the browsers.

Will my experience differ on either a PC or Mac?

No, the PolyData Dashboards user experience should be the same on all computers.

Contact the owner of the dashboard. They will prioritize requests and work with the ITS developers to schedule and implement approved changes.