Appearance
Managing Analysis Models
About 887 wordsAbout 3 min
2026-10-10
Open Data > Models. The list shows each model's Name, ID, Datasource, Last edit, Modified by, Create time and Creator. An error icon in the Datasource column means the model's connection has a problem; hover over it for the reason.
- New creates a model (see Creating an Analysis Model).
- Upload imports models from a ZIP file created by Download.
- Select one or more models to Download them as one ZIP file or Delete them together.
- Each model's actions menu, next to its name, has the actions in the next section. It shows only the actions your permissions on that model allow.
Model actions
| Action | What it does | You need |
|---|---|---|
| New report | Opens a new report on this model. | Permission to create reports. Without a valid license Datafor shows "License is invalid, expired, or exceeds license limits". |
| Rename | Opens Edit, where you change the Model name. The model ID stays the same. | Edit |
| Open in a new window | Opens the model in the modeler in a new browser tab. | Read |
| Delete | Moves the model to Trash after you confirm. | Delete or Full control |
| Create copy | Opens Save as with the name <name>_copy_<time stamp>. Enter the Analysis model name; the Analysis model ID is taken from it, and Modify lets you enter a different ID. The copy keeps the data source and gives only you Full control. | Permission to create content, and Read on the data source |
| Download | Downloads the model as a ZIP file, which Upload can import here or on another server. | Read |
| Change datasource | Opens Edit connection, where you choose another Datasource for the model. | Delete or Full control on the model, and Read on the new data source |
| Permissions | Opens Access setting, where you grant users and roles Read, Edit, Delete or Full control. See Access Control List. | Full control |
| Copy permissions to... | Copies this model's permissions to the models you tick in the Copy column. | Full control |
| View item lineage | Shows the model, its data source and the reports that use it. See Lineage Analysis. | Read |
| Prep data for AI | Builds or updates the model's knowledge index in the background and opens Settings › AI Agent › Knowledge indexes. See Preparing Data for AI. | Administrator |
Apply data security and Cache expire are set in the modeler, with the gear button in the toolbar: see Data security and cache settings.
Upload and download
Download creates one ZIP file for the selected models. It contains each model with its data source binding and its data security and cache settings.
To upload, click Upload, choose the ZIP file with Please select upload file, and click Save.
- You need permission to upload content; otherwise the upload fails with "User is not authorized to perform this operation".
- A model whose ID already exists is replaced and keeps its current permissions.
- Each model keeps the data source name stored in the file. If the connection has another name on this server, use Change datasource afterwards.
- A model in the file that has Apply data security turned off is refused with "Connection MANAGE permission is required to disable data policies" unless you may manage that data source.
- Check the uploaded models' permissions with Permissions.
Permission rules since 10.00
- Read on the data source. Saving a new model, copying one, and changing a model's data source need Read on that data source. Without it Datafor refuses with "Connection READ permission is required: data source". Administrators are exempt.
- Delete needs Delete. Edit permission alone no longer lets you delete a model. When a model cannot be deleted, the error names it, for example
Delete Denied: <model ID>, and the model stays in the list. - Models created through the API. A model created through the API without permissions in the request is visible only to the user who created it, with Full control. It no longer inherits the permissions of the models folder.
- Granting a model is not enough on its own. After you save permissions, Permissions saved lists the users and roles that also need Read on the model's data source: "The following users and roles also need Read permission on these data sources, or they won't be able to use the models you granted". Grant it in the Datasource list.
- Knowledge index. While Auto-build knowledge index is on (Settings › General › System configuration) and AI is enabled, Datafor builds or updates a model's knowledge index in the background when the model is saved, copied or uploaded.
- The model ID is permanent. It is set on the first save ("This ID cannot be changed after saving"). Rename and Create copy cannot change it; a copy gets its own ID.