What Are Periodic Reports?

Article Number:040582

Periodic Reports is a feature to periodically perform data aggregation on app data and log the aggregate result. This feature aggregates app data hourly, daily, monthly, or at certain intervals, and logs the aggregate results.
You can check the logged results afterwards. You can also check how the aggregate results have changed over time.
The 30 most recent results are retained, and any older results are discarded.

Selectable aggregation intervals and the notification timing

The Periodic Reports feature allows you to select any of the following intervals for logging aggregate results.

  • Hourly
  • Daily
  • Weekly
  • Monthly
  • Quarterly
  • Yearly

When a periodic report is generated, a notification is sent to the user who set up periodic reports.
If the app fails to generate a periodic report, a notification is sent to all users who have the management permission for the app.

Notes on setting up periodic reports

The following are the points to note regarding periodic reports.

  • Once you set up periodic reports of a chart, you will not be able to edit or duplicate the chart. Also, you will not be able to change the interval for generating reports. If you need a backup of the chart setting, duplicate the chart before setting up its periodic reports.
  • Records and fields subject to data aggregation of periodic reports are only those that can be viewed by the user who set up periodic reports.
  • Users other than the one who set up periodic reports can view generated reports even if they do not have permission to view records that are subject to data aggregation. However, if these users do not have permission to view fields that are subject to data aggregation, they cannot view generated reports.
  • If the chart is deleted, all of its periodic reports recorded up until then are deleted and will be unavailable.
  • If you have selected Pivot Table for the chart type, it is not possible to set up periodic reports.

Setting up periodic reports

"Periodic Reports" is one of the setting options in the chart settings. This section describes the procedure for setting up periodic reports for an existing chart.

  1. Click the App Settings icon (the gear-shaped icon at the upper right of the app's "View" screen), then click the Graphs tab.
    The "App Settings" icon

  2. Click Edit for the chart whose periodic reports you want to set up.
    Screenshot: The "Graphs" tab in App Settings

  3. In the Periodic Reports section, select the Generate reports periodically check box. The Period setting option appears. Screenshot: Selecting the "Generate reports periodically" checkbox

  4. Specify the interval for generating reports.

  5. Click Save on the upper left side of the screen.

  6. Click Update App at the upper right of the screen.

  7. On the confirmation dialog, click Update App.

You have successfully set up periodic reports.
When the Periodic Reports feature is active, Active is displayed in the Periodic Reports section on the screen to edit the chart settings.
Screenshot: "Active" is displayed in the "Periodic Reports" section

Checking aggregate results in periodic reports

  1. On the "View" screen of the app, click the Graph Selection drop-down list.
  2. From the list of charts displayed, select the chart whose periodic reports you want to check. Screenshot: List of charts
  3. Select a chart type and generated date.
    • To check the aggregate result logged at a specific point in time, select a chart type and generated date. Screenshot: Selecting a chart type and generated date
    • To check how the aggregate results changed during a certain time period, specify a period.
      If you specify a period, a line chart is displayed regardless of the chart type you have selected. Screenshot: Specifying a period for the generated date

This will display the aggregate results logged by the Periodic Reports feature.

Deactivating periodic reports

When you deactivate periodic reports, the app stops generating periodic reports.

  • Aggregate results logged in the past can be viewed even when the feature is inactive.
  • The feature can be reactivated.
  • Since aggregate results are not logged while the feature is inactive, the aggregate results during that period is not available even if you reactivate the feature.

The following are the steps to deactivate periodic reports.

  1. Click the App Settings icon (the gear-shaped icon at the upper right of the app's "View" screen), then click the Graphs tab.
    The "App Settings" icon

  2. Click Edit for the chart whose periodic reports you want to deactivate.

  3. Click on Active in the Periodic Reports section.
    This changes Active to Inactive.
    Screenshot: Clicking on "Active"

  4. Click Save on the upper left side of the screen.

  5. Click Update App at the upper right of the screen.

  6. On the confirmation dialog, click Update App.

To reactivate periodic reports, click on Inactive. This changes Inactive to Active, and the app resumes generating periodic reports.