RPI v7.4 release notes
Overview
Available August 2024
Redpoint Interaction (RPI) v7.4 introduces the following enhancements:
Major enhancements: this section describes the significant changes that have taken place in RPI v7.4.
Connector enhancements: this section details the changes made to connectors in RPI v7.4.
Other enhancements: this section documents other features added in RPI v7.4.
Upgrade considerations: this section documents considerations to keep in mind when upgrading to RPI v7.4.
Major enhancements
This section describes major changes to RPI in version 7.4.
Data Import Designer
Data imports allow you to load files on an ad hoc basis into the RPI data warehouse, so that the data therein can be used in a tactical capacity.
For example, you might wish to load a short list of customers in order to send each one a one-off email. Rather than relying on Redpoint Data Management (RPDM) or another third-party mechanism making such data available, you could use RPI’s Data Import functionality to quickly load the data.
Data Import is not intended as an alternative to the use of full data management processes such as RPDM; rather, it is tool for loading smaller data files for tactical purposes.
User story reference: 19920, 19922, 19923, 19924, 19925, 19926, 20106
Localization asset
The previous method of localizing content using variants defined within text and HTML assets has been deprecated. In its place, a new asset type—the localization asset—has been introduced.
Localization assets allow you to collate a series of strings, providing multi-lingual translations for each. The set of supported locales continues to be defined by system configuration setting RegionLanguageCodes.
You can drop a localization asset into a text or HTML asset, or an email offer. On doing so, you can select the string you wish to include in the content. The string will be localized on delivery to a recipient.
Localization assets support the export and import of strings and their translations.
User story reference: 20206, 20277
Aha reference: RPI-I-126
Queue Reader container
A new dedicated Queue Reader container has been introduced in RPI v7.4, which is responsible for the draining of Queue listener and RPI Realtime queues.
The new container supports operation in two modes:
Distributed mode: facilitates more than one queue reader service draining the same queue. Allows for scaling to improve processing performance. Interim data is stored in an external (redis) cache and queue (any queue provider, but preferably local), which also protects against data loss.
Non-distributed mode: all work for a single queue is handled by a single service. There is no need for an external queue or cache to hold interim data.
The container now handles all work previously undertaken by the following system tasks, which have been deprecated:
Web cache data importer
Web events importer
Web form processor
User story reference: 7325, 18971
Connector enhancements
The following changes have been made in the context of RPI v7.4 connectors:
Database platforms
Snowflake
RPI now supports the display of Snowflake Materialized Views in the Catalog.
User story reference: 19372
AWS Redshift
Support for a new data warehouse—AWS Redshift—has been added to v7 in the new release.
User story reference: 15482
Databricks
Support for a new auxiliary database – Databricks – has been added in RPI v7.4.
User story reference: 19778
PostgreSQL
RPI v7.4 now supports the use of PostgreSQL as an operational database.
User story reference: 15581
Data onboarding channels
Support has been added for v20 of the Facebook API in RPI v7.4.
User story reference: 20525
LiveRamp/Ramp ID
Support has been added for the LiveRamp and LiveRamp RampID data onboarding channels in RPI v7.4.
User story reference: 15543
Push notification channels
Google Firebase/Firebase Direct
Support has been added for the Google Firebase and Firebase Direct push notification channels in RPI v7.4.
User story reference: 15538, 15539
SMS channels
mPulse
Support has been added for the mPulse SMS channel in RPI v7.4.
User story reference: 17723
External content providers
Azure Storage
Support has been added in RPI 7.4 for Data Lake Storage Gen2 at the Azure Storage external content provider. This facilitates connecting to an account with the Data Lake Storage hierarchical namespace feature turned on.
User story reference: 19709
Aha reference: RPI-I-148
Queue providers
Kafka
Support has been added for the Kafka queue provider in RPI v7.4.
User story reference: 19713, 20154
Web adapters
Bitly
Support has been added for the Bitly web adapter in RPI v7.4.
User story reference: 15506
Other enhancements
This section describes additional changes to RPI in version 7.4.
Interaction Designer
Cache test results for production usage
A new Activate Trigger Using Test Audience trigger menu option has been made available. It is enabled when all of the following apply:
A trigger is in a Test Completed state.
Within its workflow, at least one batch audience activity with no data inputs from an upstream activity exists.
The audience's definition's No of days to persist audience test tables property is set to a value greater than 0.
On invocation, at the first batch audience in the workflow, existing test audience results are used, rather than the audience being executed again.
User story reference: 196
Zendesk reference: 22103, 31759
Reflect deduplicated counts at export results
On viewing deduplicated export activity results, counts shown at the activity now consistently reflect those displayed at its logs.
User story reference: 20279
Automatic queue activity content updates
A new system task—the Queue activity content monitor—has been added. On execution, it looks for active queue activities configured with offers. On finding the same, it determines if the offer, or any nested content within the same, has been updated. If it has, the task checks whether the offer's content needs to be re-staged, and does so if appropriate.
User story reference: 18908
Zendesk reference: 117484
Audience Designer
Multi filter block
A new audience block type—the Multi Filter—has been added. It is similar to a filter block; however, whereas a filter can only be configured with a single selection rule, a multi filter supports configuration with more than one rule. An Any/All property allows you to define how RPI will evaluate the selection rules within the block.
User story reference: 20406
Segment summary default column display
The default set of columns to be shown within the Audience Designer’s Segment Summary Window can now be defined at an audience definition. A new Overwrite default column display button within the Summary itself provides for the overwriting of the default selection, and its persistence, per audience definition, at the user profile.
User story reference: 20265
Aha reference: RPI-I-195
Rule Designer
Basic Selection Rule AI enhancements
A series of minor enhancements has been made in the context of Basic Selection Rule AI integration:
The separate Build Basic Selection Rule using AI option has been removed at the Rule Designer's Start Page.
The Refine Rule button is only displayed on selecting an AI-enabled definition.
The underlying AI model is updated automatically after saving SQL Database Definitions following change to an AI-enabled definition.
User story reference: 19757
Realtime Decisions web criteria events enhancements
When configuring an Event criterion in a Web Realtime decision, the following apply:
The "Operator" dropdown label has been changed to "When Happened".
New dropdown properties are shown when When Happened is set to one of "Happened anytime" or "Happened in the last"
Occurrences
Number of Occurrences
The Time Frame property is shown as a timespan property.
User story reference: 19876
Aha reference: RPI-I-158, RPI-I-182
Offer Designer
Preview email subject line
A new Preview button has been made available at the Email Offer Designer>Properties>Subject. Invocation displays a popup Preview (as per invocation from Text/HTML content Preview), that allows for illustration of the email's subject line with preview parameters.
User story reference: 19762
Aha reference: RPI-I-145
Smart Asset Designer
Reappraise offer history content metadata persistence
When persisting offer history content metadata, only utilized combinations of metadata are now persisted, rather than all possible combinations.
User story reference: 19836
Aha reference: RPI-I-117
Include content description in payload at Realtime evaluation
At Realtime smart asset evaluation, content description is returned in the payload.
User story reference: 20100
Aha reference: RPI-I-189
Export Template Designer
Optional resolution level
A new “<Not Set>” option has been exposed at the Export Template Designer’s Resolution Level property.
User story reference: 20259
Configuration
Tenant schema configuration
The following system configuration settings have been removed:
DefaultSchemaOfferHistorySchemaAdditionalDWSchema
In their place, new properties have been exposed at the Tenant Configuration interface:
Default Schema
Write Schema
Additional Read-only Schemas (list)
User story reference: 20158
File system
Recycle bin paging
Paging has been added in the RPI file system’s Recycle Bin folder.
User story reference: 20408
Realtime Layouts
Publish Smart Assets Functional permission
A new “Realtime Layouts - Publish Smart Assets” functional permission has been added.
User story reference: 20098
Aha reference: RPI-I-187
Widgets
Count results-select aggregate column from any table in current database
At the Choose Database Item dialog, as invoked from the Count Results widget>Rules to Chart>Aggregate Column:
The ability to change database has been removed.
Selection of a column from any table in current database is now supported.
User story reference: 20210
Realtime
Load previously-merged master profile on presentation of original identity
Once the link between a non-master key Realtime profile and a master key profile has been established, any activity at the non-master key profile is reflected at the master key profile.
User story reference: 19057
Zendesk reference: 120519
Merge parameter value lists
On the merging of two Realtime visitor profiles, if the profiles contain a value list parameter, both sets of values therein are retained after the merge is complete.
User story reference: 18963
Zendesk reference: 118458
Sign in
New Open ID Connect (OIDC) providers
Support has been added for the Auth0 and Okta OIDC providers.
User story reference: 15650
Zendesk reference: 120519
Optionally hide save credentials and sign in automatically
A new "ForceLogin" client application setting provides for the optional suppression of the Sign In dialog's Save credentials and Sign in automatically properties, and automatic clearance of its Username and Password fields.
User story reference: 20009
Aha reference: RPI-I-174
Database
SQL server: Separate read/write databases
The ability to specify separate readonly and write database has been added. This applies to when using a SQL Server data warehouse only.
User story reference: 19287
Deployment
Sleep execution service endpoint
A new Sleep Execution Service Operations endpoint has been made available. This prevents the Execution Service from taking on new work, allowing for a graceful cessation of its operation.
User story reference: 20423
Test operational databases connection endpoint
A new Operational Databases Connection endpoint has been made available. It checks operational database connections across an RPI cluster and all tenants therein.
User story reference: 20263
Operations
System health: RPDM connection health check
A new system health check monitors an RPI tenant’s connection to Redpoint Data Management (RPDM).
User story reference: 786
Database Queries tab
A new Database Queries tab has been exposed at the Operations interface. It provides visibility of database queries currently executing when workflows, system tasks and client job are run. Queries will typically only be shown for up to a minute, after which they will be removed from display.
User story reference: 19900, 20093
Zendesk reference: 91012
Query trace log enhancements
The following minor enhancements have been introduced at the Operations Interface's Query Trace Log tab:
An additional value ("Long Running Query") has been exposed at the Filter toolbar's Show dropdown.
A new property has been added to facilitate filtering of log messages by file name.
It is now possible to sort across the entire displayed query data set, not just the current page.
User story reference: 16117
Zendesk reference: 86743
System health review
A comprehensive review of the System Health treeview has been undertaken, with a view to ensuring its applicability to RPI’s execution in a containerized environment.
User story reference: 20329
Email telemetry report
A new “TelemetryReportEmails” configuration setting has been added, which allows for the specification of a list of email addresses to which the RPI Telemetry report can be sent.
User story reference: 20211
Miscellaneous
Audit system configuration changes
An audit record is now written at a change to a system configuration collection.
User story reference: 6902
Error messages correlation ID
A new Correlation ID GUID is generated when an RPI error is thrown. When the same error is logged multiple times at different levels of the call stack, the same Correlation ID is used referenced at each occurrence. This provides for traceability across services at error investigation.
User story reference: 19435
Upgrade considerations
Client upgrade
The automated upgrade of the RPI client to v7.4 from previous versions is not supported. This upgrade must be performed manually.
Please download the latest client files from:
The Client Download option at the Interaction API Home Page.
The Redpoint Configuration Home Page’s Downloads option.
Queue reader: Upgrade ramifications
Any clients making use of Queue Listener or RPI Realtime functionality will need to utilize the new Queue Reader container to do so.
Internal Service Addresses
The Execution, Node Manager, and Queue Reader's internal addresses must be configured to be accessible to other RPI services. For example:
RPIExecution__InternalAddress = "http://execution:8080"
Google Ads content policy for EU users
Google is strictly enforcing consent policy for EU users for Google Ads v15, starting March 2024. RPI code has been modified for compliance. Please see: https://www.google.com/about/company/user-consent-policy/.