It is not necessary to add all columns from a database table as fields in the record. In general, a field should be included in a record if it meets one of the following criteria:

• The field is needed to calculate a metric value.

• The field is needed as a dimension to support dashboard drill down.

• The field is needed to support dashboard drill down to the record level. For example, an ID or name may be useful to understand an individual record if a user drills down through an aggregate metric to see the records that contribute to the metric.

• The field is a date and time field used as a time stamp for events.

• This field is required to be displayed in the record grid.

A user can create additional derived or calculated fields at any time. Each field has a data type, such as String, Integer, or Number. Derived fields can be used to transform raw data into processed data.