Without a row-level security, we incorporate low-level security in the projects. We can't simply show static assets, as we need to filter on records, we can show the logged-in user.
To make us use Boards, please introduce computed assets for Boards.
@dgudkov Are there any issues besides priority that prevent the EM hub from offering computed datasets for Boards? Currently, it is limited to pre-computed. At least to use Boards as entry points, the arguments mentioned before are still valid/relevant for us.
Computed datasets can already be added to boards as shortcuts. For instance, the shortcut below is a computed dataset:
Also, computed datasets can be added as related assets to any asset. For instance, the linked asset below is a computed dataset.
However, computed assets can't be displayed as a board section yet. Technically, nothing stops us from supporting them in the "Table" section. The question is more of usability: computed assets may trigger heavy workflows on every board opening by any user. When there are hundreds of users who access the board regularly, it may suddenly create a significant workfload and steal CPU/RAM resources from other, possibly business-critical, tasks. So for now, we've decided to allow only pre-computed datasets as board sections.
Once we start understanding use cases better, we can revise this decision. But even as of today, computed assets can be opened from boards, just not via a board section.
@dgudkov Thanks for the explanation. I understand the risk of triggering resource-intensive workflows whenever a board is opened.
However, from a customer perspective, limiting board sections to pre-computed datasets creates another significant risk: where data must be calculated or filtered for the logged-in user, a pre-computed section cannot safely provide the required individualized view. A shortcut to a computed dataset is technically helpful, but it does not provide the intended board experience—the user must leave the board and explicitly open another asset.
Without computed board sections, customers may have to choose between:
- not using Boards as the central entry point;
- duplicating datasets or projects for different user groups;
- displaying pre-computed data that may be stale or insufficiently restricted; or
- implementing additional workarounds outside EasyMorph.
This is particularly relevant while Boards do not offer native row-level security. In such cases, the computation itself may be the mechanism that ensures users only receive the records they are permitted to see.
Could computed sections therefore be introduced with safeguards—for example, explicit opt-in by the board designer, manual loading or refresh, caching with a configurable lifetime, execution limits, and an administrator policy? This would make the resource implications transparent and controllable without excluding personalized board sections altogether.
For us, this is not only a convenience feature. It affects whether Boards can be used safely and sustainably for individualized customer scenarios.
@ithiessen I see where you're coming from. I should clarify that boards are envisioned as a team collaboration tool, first of all. A tool that brings everyone on the same page. Where people can see the same shared information and operate in the same context. That's why we keep saying that Explorer is rather a data-centric replacement for SharePoint, not a dashboarding/reporting application.
Boards are not intended to be a replacement for individualized reports. As you correctly mention, the need for individualized data delivery exists. There are plenty of solutions for that, such as Tableau or Power BI, so I don't see the necessity to replicate that functionality. The goal of Explorer is to organize work with existing data/reports, rather than replace them. Even though some functional overlap is inevitable.
In v6.2, we will add sections to embed Power BI dashboards/reports or Tableau workbooks in Boards. In a later version, we will add support for "per-user" mode in Power BI and Tableau connectors. In this case, it will technically be possible to configure a Power BI or Tableau section to display the contents of an embedded report/dashboard that is individual for each user. However, I'm not sure if this is the right scenario for using boards.