Save and Resume Monitor Drafts

Alation Cloud Service Applies to Alation Cloud Service instances of Alation

While creating a monitor, you can save your progress as a draft instead of completing the setup in a single session. A draft preserves your configuration so that you can return to it later without losing your work.

Drafts are private. You can only view, edit, or delete the drafts you created. Drafts do not run, do not send notifications, and do not appear in the approval queue.

Note

The Save as draft action becomes available starting at Step 3: Configure Checks of the monitor creation wizard. It is not available on Step 1: Monitor Type or Step 2: Select Scope.

Save a Monitor as a Draft

To save your progress while creating a monitor:

  1. Begin creating a monitor. For more information, see Add a Monitor.

  2. Proceed to Step 3: Configure Checks or a later step.

  3. At the bottom of the wizard, click Save as draft.

    A confirmation toast displays the message Draft saved along with a View drafts link.

  4. Continue working on the current step, or navigate away.

    Note

    You do not need to configure any checks before saving. Alation Data Quality allows you to save a draft as soon as you reach Step 3, even if no checks are configured yet.

Important

Clicking Save as draft on a draft you already saved updates that same draft. It does not create a duplicate.

Naming a Draft

Alation Data Quality names your draft using the following logic:

Condition

Draft Name

You entered a monitor name in Step 5: Schedule & Launch.

The monitor name you entered.

You did not enter a monitor name.

“Draft on <table name>”, based on the table selected in Step 2: Select Scope.

Neither a monitor name nor a table is set.

“Untitled draft”

You can rename a draft at any time by entering a monitor name during a later editing session.

View Your Drafts

To view your saved drafts:

  1. Navigate to the Alation Data Quality application and from the left-pane menu, click the Monitors tab.

  2. At the top of the Monitors page, click the Drafts tab.

    The tab label displays a count of your current drafts, for example, Drafts (6).

Each draft row displays the following information:

Field

Description

Draft Name

The name of the draft, determined using the naming logic described above.

Table

The fully qualified table being monitored (database.schema.table_name).

Progress

The step you last saved on, for example, “Step 3 of 5”.

Checks Summary

The number of checks and anomaly metrics configured so far, or “No checks yet” if none are configured.

Last Edited

A relative timestamp showing when the draft was last saved, for example, “2h ago” or “9d ago”.

Note

The Drafts tab only shows drafts that you created. Other users, including Server Admins, cannot view your drafts.

If you have no saved drafts, the Drafts tab displays an empty state with a New Monitor option to start a new monitor.

Resume a Draft

To continue working on a saved draft:

  1. Navigate to the Drafts tab as described above.

  2. Locate the draft you want to resume.

  3. Click Continue editing.

    The monitor creation wizard opens at the step you last saved, with your source, scope, checks, anomaly metrics, schedule, notifications, and monitor name restored. An Editing draft label appears next to the wizard title to confirm you are editing a draft rather than creating a new monitor.

  4. Make your changes.

  5. Optionally, click Save as draft again to save your latest changes to the same draft.

Note

If you navigate away from the wizard after making unsaved changes, a confirmation prompt asks whether you want to discard those changes.

Important

If a draft references a table or data source that has since been deleted, an error message displays when you resume the draft. Resolve the reference before you can continue.

Submit a Draft as a Monitor

When you finish configuring a draft, you can submit it to become an active monitor.

  1. Resume the draft as described above.

  2. Complete the remaining steps of the monitor creation wizard.

  3. On Step 5: Schedule & Launch, click Launch Monitor.

    Note

    If your organization requires approval, this button may instead read Submit for Approval or Create Monitor. For more information, see Approval Workflow and Governance.

Once submitted, the draft is removed from the Drafts tab. Depending on your organization’s approval settings, the monitor either becomes active immediately or enters the approval queue.

Important

A draft only enters the approval queue when you explicitly submit it. Saving a draft, at any step, never creates an approval request.

Delete a Draft

To remove a draft you no longer need:

  1. Navigate to the Drafts tab as described above.

  2. Locate the draft you want to delete.

  3. Click the overflow menu (⋮) on the draft row.

  4. Click Delete draft.

  5. In the confirmation dialog, confirm the deletion.

Warning

Deleting a draft cannot be undone.