Database sync latency

The sync latency is a significant detriment to this product.

We spend a lot of time fiddling with the underlying database schema (star schema structures, etc) to get the performance we need out of the front end, and to work around data presentation limitations … it seems that every change in the database schema takes some unknown amount of time for Metabase to recognize.

I read on the GutHub forum that Metabase does a length stats scan of the schema periodically to pick up new changes. There was a request that table-level sync/scan could be performed. In my case I added a new table to replace a view, the table has a different name, and I am now waiting for it to appear on the table list so I can use it for my Question. It would be nice if the table list had a “sync” or “search for new objects” button that would do a quick scan and pull the new table onto the table list. Scan for stats later.

Again it cripples our dev efforts when iteratively working on the underlying schema while building our front-end charts and reports.

Thanks. John

Like this?
image
In admin panel, go to Databases, select the database, you'll get these options.

Yes, but table level as an option … and for Developers, not Admins.

Thanks. John

There are various ways to get you closer to that:

  • Spin up one or several (local) developer (throw away) instances and let the devs have an admin role there
  • Under Admin there are also more granular buttons under data model for each table.
  • if you don’t want to/can’t do the above expose the backend API points in a small custom built UI for your devs.

You could argue these are just workarounds - but that’s whats there right now.

… alternatively raise this as a feature request and wait till it’s there.

I moved this to the enh req list …

Again the need here is for report developers to be able to quickly pick up changes in the underlying schema as they tweak their reporting/star schemas to get the data right, and to work around limitations in Metabase’s query capabilities.

The database changes often take less than a minute, including re-populating Fact tables with data … and the front-end report creation in Metabase also takes only seconds … it’s the minutes of waiting in between for the schema changes to be picked up by Metabase that is a productivity killer.

With a name like “Metabase” I would hope the ability for this product to stay on top of database metadata would be top priority :wink:

Thanks. John