About Datasets

A CRM Analytics dataset is a collection of related data that can be viewed in a tabular format. The data can come from many sources, including Salesforce objects, external data sources, and even other datasets.

• Columns and Rows in Datasets
  A dataset is analogous to a table in a database. It organizes data by columns and rows.
• Column Types in Datasets
  Datasets support the following column types: dates, dimensions, and measures.
• System Columns in Datasets
  System columns are dataset columns that don’t appear in the CRM Analytics user interface, such as lenses or Dashboard Designer. For example, to enable dataset security based on the Salesforce role hierarchy, the Flatten transformation generates columns that store the role hierarchy details. To prevent a CRM Analytics user from seeing and querying these columns, flag them as system columns.
• Denormalized Data
  The data in Salesforce objects is normalized, meaning that it’s stored efficiently in a collection of related tables to minimize redundancy, enhance consistency, and ensure data integrity. In contrast, data in datasets is denormalized, where it’s stored in an optimal format for querying. All the work required to combine the data from multiple sources is done ahead of time. The data is centralized, compressed, and ready to be analyzed.
• Dataset Security
  For each dataset that you create, you can apply security to restrict access to sensitive rows in the dataset.