The Automated Hierarchy Sync workflow task performs automated hierarchy synchronizations using a file or staging table as the source.
Use the Automated Hierarchy Sync workflow task to automate hierarchy updates and synchronize your dimensions with external source systems:
- Automates hierarchy updates: Automatically aligns and synchronizes your dimension hierarchies with an external source system.
- Integrates with external systems: Points to an incoming hierarchy specification file from an upstream source system (such as an ERP or HR platform) and processes updates automatically.
- Synchronizes the base/default Hierarchy: Targets and runs against the default or base hierarchy of your chosen dimension. Note: it doesn't support alternate hierarchy synchronization.
Create a task to sync hierarchies when another system, such as a human resources platform or data warehouse, creates or updates structures.
Supported Storage Sources
The Automated Hierarchy Sync task supports three storage connection types:
- FTP: A standard FTP site where the hierarchy file is stored.
- Azure file storage: An Azure file share where the hierarchy file resides.
- Azure blob storage: An Azure blob container where the hierarchy file resides.
- Staging table: An intermediate Anaplan Financial Consolidation and Reporting table used to temporarily store, cleanse, transform, and validate data before it is loaded into a destination table.
Both CSV and XLSX file formats are supported.
Note: Storage connection strings must be configured in the Configure module before setting up the workflow task. Refer to your connector setup documentation for instructions on creating FTP, Azure File Storage, and Azure Blob connection strings.
Create an Automated Hierarchy Sync Workflow task
Access the Automated Hierarchy Sync workflow task in the Application section of the workflow Task Toolbox. To use the Automated Hierarchy Sync task:
- Create or open a workflow process.
- From the Task Toolbar, expand Application section, then drag and drop the Automated Hierarchy Sync task to the workflow.
- Type a name for the workflow task.
- Before running a live synchronization, enable Simulation Mode to validate the configuration without modifying hierarchy data. This option doesn't commit any changes to the model. The task produces a log file showing the changes that would be applied. You can use this option during the testing phase of setting up the hierarchy synchronization to see the would-be results.
- Run the task. Then, open the log file at the selected location and verify that the insertions, updates, renames, and deletions match your expectations.
- Once validated, uncheck Simulation Mode and execute the workflow to perform the actual hierarchy import.
- Select the Dimension in your model that you want to sync the hierarchy into, for example, the Entity dimension. This tells the task which hierarchy to synchronize.
- From the Source dropdown, select a data source to sync with. The available options in this dropdown are populated from the connection strings previously configured in the Configure module.
- Select appdb if you are using a staging table.
- Or select a data source that specifies the connection to the file's storage location you want to sync.
- In the Explorer Log field, select the Explorer folder to enable the system to log sync activity. Leave this field blank if you don't need a log. The log file records what happened during the sync or during Simulation Mode. The log includes inserts, updates, renames, and deletes. It's useful for checking and troubleshooting.
- Configure the Synchronization Settings:
| Option | Description |
| Additions only | Only adds new members to the target dimension. Current members aren't changed or moved to the To Be Deleted parent. |
| Additions and updates only | Adds new members and updates current members, but doesn't remove any members from the target dimension. |
| Additions, updates and deletes | Adds new members and updates current members. The hierarchy sync processes newly added members and updates to existing members. The summary of results log file flags any members not present in the source file as Deleted. This is the default selection. |
- Select the Re-assign deleted members to 'To Be Deleted' parent member checkbox. This moves deleted members to the To Be Deleted parent node rather than permanently removing them. This gives you a safety net to review deletions before they are finalized. This option is selected by default.
- Select the Advance Rule dropdown to set when this task executes relative to other tasks in the workflow. The default value is All predecessors have completed.
- Save and Run the Workflow.
When you run the workflow, Financial Consolidation and Reporting executes the Automated Hierarchy Sync task. It reads from the specified source and applies the hierarchy to the target dimension.
When the workflow is done, check the target dimension to ensure the extracted hierarchy members are now in the destination.
