Brightspace Data Sets (BDS) receive minor version updates as part of the monthly Brightspace release cycle. These updates are typically backward compatible and require no action. For details on how versioning works, refer to our Brightspace Data Sets Change Management Policy (link).
While BDS minor version changes don’t introduce breaking changes, they may still affect your custom datasets, analyses and dashboards in Analytics Builder. We want you to understand the impact of such BDS changes on Analytics Builder and provide a means of staying on top of it.
BDS Minor Version Change and Analytics Builder Impact mapping
BDS Minor Version Change | Impact on Analytics Builder Workflows | Examples |
|---|
Add a new Brightspace Data Set | No impact on dashboards, analyses and datasets. | |
Append a new column | No impact on dashboards, analyses and datasets. | |
Add/remove column from composite primary key | Changes how rows are defined as unique. Can break joins, filters, or aggregations in dashboards and analyses (duplicates, dropped rows, incorrect totals). No impact if dashboards/analyses don’t depend on the original key or are updated to use the new definition. | In the Assignment Submission Details (BDS v10.7, Nov 2025 release) the primary key will change from (DropboxId, SubmitterId) -> (DropboxId, SubmitterId, SubmitterType). Dashboards or joins built on old PK may now return duplicate or mismatched totals until updated to use the new key. |
Change whether a column can be NULL (nullable → NOT NULL) | Dashboards or analyses that rely on NULL checks may break or return misleading results when NULLs are no longer allowed. No impact if analyses/datasets never relied on NULLs for that field. | In Grade Objects (BDS v9.12, Dec 2024 release), the IsDeleted column used to allow NULL values. Every row now has a value, so dashboards or, analyses filtering on IsDeleted IS NULL (for example, to find “unmarked” row) will now return nothing. |
Change whether a column can be NULL (Not NULL -> nullable) | Dashboards or analyses that expect values may fail or behave incorrectly when NULLs are introduced. No impact if dashboards/analyses are already designed to handle NULLs. | In the Assignment Submission Details in BDS v10.6 (October 2025 release), the TotalFileSize column changes from NOT NULL to nullable. After this update, some rows may contain NULL values.
Dashboards or queries using TotalFileSize = 0 to find empty submissions will now exclude rows where the value is NULL, which may lead to under-reported results. |
Change data type | Dashboards, analyses, and calculated fields relying on the old type may error out or show incorrect results unless dashboards are updated to support the new type. | In the Creator+ Practices Adoption and Creator+ Practices Engagement (BDS v10.2, June 2025 release), the Version column changes data type from INT to BIGINT. The dashboards or analyses relying on Version as INT may fail or show incorrect results. |
Add new data in the form of additional rows | Dashboards or analyses may overcount, inflate averages, or misreport participation if they don’t account for the new rows unless logic is updated to filter or handle the additional row types. | In the Enrolments and Withdrawals (BDS V9.0, Dec 2023 release), soft-deleted rows for withdrawn enrolments were introduced. The dashboards that don't filter these rows may show inflated counts or misleading participation. |
To help you manage these scenarios, Analytics Builder now provides workflows like those already in place for BDS major version updates in Analytics Builder.
What’s Changing
When a BDS minor version update impacts Analytics Builder:
- Impacted assets (custom datasets, analyses, dashboards) are moved to an Assets to Review folder.
- Data refresh pauses for those assets with
- Authors receive a Brightspace notification that links directly to Analytics Builder.
- Once the impacted items are fixed and published, refresh resumes automatically, and the assets are cleared from the folder.
Why It Matters
These safeguards ensure that:
- Impactful changes from BDS minor version updates are caught early.
- Customers avoid silent failures or outdated dashboards.
- Authors have a clear workflow to review, fix, and publish impacted assets.
How It Works (Step by Step)
Step 1: Check notifications
Log in to Brightspace. If a BDS minor version change impacts your assets, you will see a Brightspace notification linking directly to Analytics Builder.
Step 2: Navigate to Analytics Builder
Either via the notification or Open Analytics Builder from the navigation menu.
Step 3: Go to Shared Folders. Open the “Assets to Review” folder
Impacted datasets, analyses, and dashboards appear here.
Step 4: Review impacted Assets
Inside the folder, you will see subfolders for each impacted BDS. Open them to find datasets and analyses that need updating.
Step 5: Fix and Publish
Make the required changes and republish the impacted assets.
Step 6: Automatic Refresh
Fixed items are re-checked within 24 hours. Healthy items resume refresh automatically; unresolved ones remain paused.
Step 7: Folder Cleanup
Once all impacted items are fixed, the Assets to Review folder is created and removed automatically.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Do all BDS minor version changes impact Analytics Builder?
No. We review all BDS changes in each release and only certain types of minor version changes can affect Analytics Builder
Q: Do I need to take any action for every BDS minor version change?
No. Most BDS minor version updates are handled automatically. You will only see a notification if there is an impact on your assets in Analytics Builder.
Q: What happens if I don’t fix impacted assets?
Impacted assets will stop refreshing until corrected. Unresolved issues could result in outdated dashboards.
Q: What release cycle will this follow?
Brightspace Data Set minor version changes follow the monthly Brightspace release cycle. Analytics Builder applies safeguards as part of these monthly updates.
Q: How long do I have to fix impacted dashboards after a breaking minor version change?
You will have one release cycle to make fixes. After that, the new BDS minor version is enforced, and the old version is cleaned up. Any unresolved assets may stop refreshing or break.
Revision History
17-September-2025: Impact of BDS Minor Version on Analytics Builder published