Cloud Native Mode Versus Standard Mode in Designer Cloud

Important

Workspaces with Private Data Processing only support Cloud Native Mode at this time.

Designer Cloud offers 2 workflow modes, Standard and Cloud Native, which offer enhanced flexibility and functionality when you create workflows. You can choose between these modes from the dual tool palette.

This table explains the differences between the 2 modes to help you decide which mode to use in your workflow.

Criteria	Standard Mode	Cloud Native Mode
Tools	Offers an expanded tool set with 46 tools. Offers additional expressions not currently available in Cloud Native mode. Configurations are expanded with functionality similar to Designer Desktop.	Retains the current Designer Cloud tool palette and functionalities.
Data Limits	Loading times might be impacted if a dataset surpasses 1GB per input. However, no hard data limits exist.	Automatically displays a 10MB sample in the Interactive Results Grid if a dataset exceeds 10MB per input. If the dataset is smaller than 10MB, the entirety of the data will be visible.
Data Processing	Data processing in this mode utilizes the Alteryx Engine (also called the Amp engine), which operates server-side during both design and run time. While you design the workflow, the entire dataset is visible (no sampling). Data is extracted from its source for processing, therefore no pushdown is available.	This mode provides access to the current array of Designer Cloud engine options: Alteryx Engine, EMR Spark, and Snowflake.

When you understand the distinctions between Cloud Native and Standard mode and consider your specific workflow needs, you can confidently choose the mode that maximizes efficiency and effectiveness within Designer Cloud.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some common questions and answers to help you differentiate between these modes effectively.

Can I convert a workflow from 1 mode to another after I create it?

For now, you can't convert workflows to a different mode. To switch modes, you must recreate your workflow in a different mode.
Another solution is to add an output tool to the canvas, run the workflow, and then create a new workflow with the output dataset. Then, you can proceed to the next portion of the analysis that requires Standard mode tools.
- To orchestrate these workflows together, use Plans to connect workflows of different modes, available through Alteryx Analytics Cloud (AAC).

How will I identify which mode I am working in, Cloud Native or Standard?

Hover over the name of the workflow to identify its mode. Also, Cloud Native workflows have a cloud icon next to the workflow’s name, while Standard workflows have a lightning bolt icon.

What if there are tools in Standard mode that I want to use, but I am trying to use Cloud Native mode?

Tools are mode-specific and you can't use them interchangeably. For now, Cloud Native mode tools belong to Cloud Native workflows, while Standard mode tools belong to Standard workflows.

Other Limitations

One Tool Examples are currently unavailable within Standard mode.
Blob and Long datatypes are not platform supported datatypes. Workflows using columns with Blob types can experience failures. In order to drop Blob and Long column type it is advisable to use Custom SQL.
Tools with random sampling might have different results between Standard and Cloud Native mode.

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