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NextGen UI documentation > Workbench > Data > Add data

Add data

Adding data before setting up an experiment gives you the chance to explore and prepare the dataset prior to modeling.

This section covers the following methods to add data:

Topic Description
Data connection Connect to and add data from an external data source.
Data Registry Add any static or snapshot datasets you currently have access to in the AI Catalog.
Local file Browse and upload a file from your local file system.
URL Adds a snapshot of the full dataset specified in the URL.

Dataset formatting

To avoid introducing unexpected line breaks or incorrectly separated fields during data import, if a dataset includes non-numeric data containing special characters—such as newlines, carriage returns, double quotes, commas, or other field separators—ensure that those instances of non-numeric data are wrapped in quotes ("). Properly quoting non-numeric data is particularly important when the preview feature "Enable Minimal CSV Quoting" is enabled.

Once you've added data, the Data assets tile displays dataset information, including the data source, row count, feature count, and size. Use the Add data dropdown in the upper-right corner to link additional data assets to the Use Case.

If a Use Case is not yet linked to any data assets, DataRobot provides several methods to import or link data to a Use Case:

  Element Description
1 Drag-and-drop Drag-and-drop one or more datasets within the dotted lines to add them to the Use Case. See the accepted formats listed above View dataset requirements.
2 Browse data Opens the Browse data modal where you can browse the Data Registry and your external connections to select and add multiple datasets to your Use Case. This is the same action as clicking Add data, above.
3 Upload file Allows you to upload one or more files from your local file system without opening the Browse data modal.
4 Add from URL Allows you to add data using a URL without opening the Browse data modal.
5 View dataset requirements Opens a window that summarizes the dataset upload requirements at DataRobot. It is recommended that you review these requirements before adding data.

Browse data modal

To add data from the Data Registry or data connection, click Add data > Browse data. The Browse data modal displays your Data Registry assets in the center, and existing data connections on the left. From here, you can:

  Element Description
1 Data Registry Click to view assets registered in the Data Registry. The counter indicates the number of assets available for selection.
2 Data connections Allows you to create new data connections and add data from existing ones.
3 Browse area Browse data assets from the Data Registry or a data connection.
4 Settings Control the columns displayed in the data browsing area.
5 Upload from URL Allows you to add data using a URL.
6 Upload Allows you to upload one or more files from your local file system.
7 Cancel / Add to Use Case Click Cancel to exit the Browse data modal without adding data. Once you've selected at least one data asset, the Add to Use Case button is enabled.

Data connections

Configuring a data connection—to either a native connector or JDBC driver—allows you to interactively explore, preview, and profile live data before bringing it into DataRobot. Once defined, you can reuse these connections and credentials to securely add data in the future.

For important additional information, see:

In a Workbench Use Case, you can connect to and add data from a data connection by clicking Add data > Browse data. In the Browse data modal, you can:

  Element Description
1 + Add connection Allows you to add and configure a new data connection.
2 List of connections Lists all data connections associated with your DataRobot account. Select a connection to view its stored data.
3 Connection actions While hovering over a data connection, you can access the following actions:
  • Edit: Opens the configuration options for the data connection.
  • Clone: Makes a copy of the connection, including the configuration parameters and credentials.
  • Share: Allows you to share the data connection with other users, groups, or organizations, as well as assign permissions.
  • Delete: Deletes the data connection.
4 Add from SQL query Allows you to use SQL queries to add data.
5 Cancel / Add to registry To exit the modal without adding data, click Cancel. Once you've selected at least one data asset, the Add to registry button is enabled.
Data connector limitation for vector databases

Data ingested via data connectors (such as Google Drive or SharePoint) is stored in the File Registry and cannot be used as VDB metadata. All metadata files must be uploaded to Datasets storage in the Data Registry, as assets contained in Files storage are not validated by the EDA process. If a vector database requires metadata for filtering, access control, or downstream retrieval logic, ensure that the metadata is provided as a Dataset in the Data Registry rather than sourced from a data connector.

Data Registry

When you open the Browse data modal, DataRobot displays the Data Registry, a central catalog for your datasets that lists all static, snapshot, and dynamic datasets currently in the Data tile in Registry—this includes data that has been added directly to the Data Registry or added to a Use Case, which is then registered in the Data Registry.

When you add a dataset from Data Registry, you're creating a link from the Use Case to the source of that dataset, meaning datasets can have a one-to-many relationship with Use Cases. When a dataset is removed, you're only removing the link; any experiments created from the dataset will not be affected.

See the associated considerations for important additional information.

Add a dataset

You can add any datasets that have been previously registered in DataRobot.

To add a dataset:

  1. In the Data Registry, select the box to the left of the dataset you want to view.

  2. (Optional) Preview the dataset to determine if the dataset is appropriate for the objective of your Use Case.

  3. Click Add to Use Case in the upper-right corner.

    Workbench opens to the Data assets tile of your Use Case.

Preview a dataset

Viewing a snapshot preview allows you to confirm that a dataset is appropriate for your Use Case before adding it.

To preview a dataset:

  1. In the Data Registry, click on an asset to open a preview.

  2. Analyze the dataset using the Features and Data preview buttons:

    Lists the feature name, type, number of unique values, and number of missing values for each feature in the dataset.

    Displays a random sample, up to 1MB, of the raw data table.

  3. Determine if the dataset suits your Use Case, and then either:

    • Add the dataset to your Use Case by clicking Add to Use Case.
    • Go back to the Data Registry by clicking Data Registry in the breadcrumbs below the dataset name.

Local files

By uploading a local file via the Browse data modal, you are both adding the dataset to your Use Case and registering it in the Data Registry. This method of adding data is a good approach if your dataset is already ready for modeling.

Before uploading a file, review DataRobot's dataset requirements for accepted file formats and size guidelines. See the associated considerations for important additional information.

To upload a local file:

  1. From the Data assets tile, click Add data. Note that you can also drag-and-drop files onto the page to add them to the Use Case and Data Registry.

  2. In the Browse data modal, click Upload.

  3. Locate and select your dataset in the file explorer. Then, click Open.

    Supported file types

    Workbench supports the following file types for upload: .csv, .tsv, .dsv, .xls, .xlsx, .sas7bdat, .geojson, .gz, .bz2, .tar, .tgz, .zip.

  4. DataRobot begins registering the dataset in the Data Registry. You can continue adding data, or you can click Add to Use Case to add the dataset to your Use Case and exit the Browse data modal. The Data assets tile displays the source, row count, feature count, and size of the dataset.

URL

By uploading data via a URL, you are both adding the dataset to your Use Case and registering it in the Data Registry. You can use a local, HTTP, HTTPS, Google Cloud Storage, Azure Blob Storage, or S3 (URL must use HTTP) URL to import your data. The following is an example URL: https://s3.amazonaws.com/datarobot_public_datasets/10k_diabetes.csv.

Before uploading a file, review DataRobot's dataset requirements for accepted file formats and size guidelines. See the associated considerations for important additional information.

To upload data using a URL:

  1. From the Data assets tile, click Add data.

  2. In the Browse data modal, click Upload from URL.

  3. Enter the URL in the field and click Add.

  4. DataRobot begins registering the dataset in the Data Registry. You can continue adding data, or you can click Add to Use Case to add the dataset to your Use Case and exit the Browse data modal. The Data assets tile displays the source, row count, feature count, and size of the dataset.

Feature considerations

Consider the following when adding data:

  • There is currently no image support in previews.
  • You can add dynamic datasets using a JDBC driver, however, you can not preview or wrangle that data—you must first create a snapshot of the dataset.