Skip to content

Positive Troubleshooting

Common problems when creating and running a Positive check, their causes, and how to resolve them.

Validation Fails When Creating the Check

Clicking Validate returns an error instead of a success message.

Cause: The rule could not run against the selected data. The most common reasons are an invalid Filter Clause expression, a connection problem with the source, or a container that failed to load.

Resolution:

  1. Review the error message: it explains what needs attention.
  2. Check the Filter Clause for typos: it must be a valid SQL WHERE expression for the selected container.
  3. If the message says the container is marked as Unloadable, the container was skipped after repeated operation failures. Follow the steps in Unloadable Container Error.

Zero Values Are Flagged

Rows holding exactly 0 are reported.

Cause: Positive requires values strictly above zero.

Resolution: When zero is a legitimate value for the column, replace the check with Not Negative, which accepts zero and rejects only negatives.

Rows With NULL Values Are Not Flagged

Rows with an empty field pass the check.

Cause: This is by design: NULL values pass. Positive only constrains present values.

Resolution: Pair the check with a Not Null check on the same field to also require presence.

The Field Does Not Appear in the Field Picker

The column you want to check is not listed under Field.

Cause: The picker only lists numeric fields (and arrays of numbers). A number stored as text is excluded.

Resolution: Expose the column with a numeric type upstream, or project it through a Computed Field, then select that field.

An Array Row Fails Although Most Elements Pass

A row with an array field is flagged even though only one element breaks the rule.

Cause: On array fields the check evaluates every element, and the row fails as soon as one element fails.

Resolution: This is expected behavior. Review the flagged row's array to find the offending element.

An Edited Check Keeps Behaving the Old Way

You changed the configuration but the anomaly list did not change.

Cause: Edits take effect on the next Scan. Saving the check does not re-evaluate the data, and anomalies raised under the previous configuration are not modified.

Resolution: Run a Scan on the container (or wait for the scheduled one). Old anomalies stay open until you triage them or a Full scan with Auto Resolve clears them. See What Happens to Existing Anomalies.

No Anomalies Although the Data Looks Wrong

A Scan ran, the data clearly breaks the rule, but nothing was reported.

Cause: One of these configurations is excluding the violations:

  • The check is in Draft status: Draft checks are not evaluated by Scans.
  • The Filter Clause excludes those rows before the evaluation runs.
  • Coverage is below 100% and the failing fraction stayed within the tolerance, so the check passed.

Resolution: Confirm the check is Active and test the filter expression against the offending rows. Then review the coverage setting; see Coverage and Tolerance.

Expected One Anomaly per Row, Got a Single Rolled-Up One

Many rows failed, but the scan reported one Shape Anomaly instead of per-row Record Anomalies.

Cause: When the number of failing rows exceeds the scan's rollup threshold, the per-row findings are grouped into one rolled-up Shape Anomaly.

Resolution: This is expected behavior; the rolled-up anomaly carries sampled source records. To change the threshold, see Maximum Record Anomalies per Check.