feat(feed): add rollback data changes post with meme

2026-08-20 21:06:43 +01:00
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+---
+title: 'Oops! Now You Can Roll Back Data Changes'
+description: Despite all the checks in Data Controller for SAS®, sometimes the wrong updates get approved. Since v6.8, you can roll back to a previous version - with full audit history preserved.
+date: '2026-08-20 09:00:00'
+author: 'Data Controller'
+authorLink: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/data-controller-for-sas
+tags:
+  - Announcements
+previewImg: './rollback-trains-meme.jpeg'
+---
+
+# Oops! Now You Can Roll Back Data Changes
+
+Despite the MANY checks and guarantees in Data Controller for SAS®, sometimes it can happen that the wrong updates are approved and applied.
+
+Thankfully, since v6.8, it is now possible to **roll back** data changes to a previous state.
+
+## How it works in practice
+
+Behind the scenes, rollback is not a silent undo. It is a **first-class approval workflow** just like any other edit. When you choose to restore a previous version, the backend - via the [`%mp_stripdiffs`](https://core.sasjs.io/mp__stripdiffs_8sas.html) macro - reads the `MPE_AUDIT` table (or a custom `AUDIT_LIBDS` configured for the table) and computes every difference between the current state and the version you want to go back to.
+
+It handles all three change types:
+
+- **Deleted rows** are re-inserted with their original values.
+- **Modified rows** are reverted to their previous values.
+- **Added rows** are marked for deletion with `_____DELETE__THIS__RECORD_____="Yes"`.
+
+The computed differences are written to a new staging package in the approvals directory, complete with a CSV and a `macvars.sas` snapshot of the session context. A new `LOAD_REF` is generated, and the package is submitted via the standard `%mpe_loader` service - so it goes through the same edit-stage-approve workflow as any manual change.
+
+This means the rollback itself is **reviewable and approvable**. Nothing is applied silently, and the full audit trail is maintained: the reversion appears as a new load reference in `MPE_SUBMIT`, `MPE_REVIEW`, `MPE_DATALOADS`, and `MPE_AUDIT`, just like any other submission.
+
+## Security and access
+
+Not everyone can roll back everything. The `%mpe_checkrestore` macro enforces a strict access check before the restore service will run:
+
+- The load must actually exist and have been loaded (no rollbacks of unapproved submissions).
+- The table must be configured with an audit table.
+- The user must have `EDIT` access to the target table.
+- If the user is not an admin, Row Level Security or Column Level Security rules on the table will block the restore.
+
+If access is denied, the service aborts with a clear reason - no opaque errors.
+
+## What this means for compliance
+
+Because the rollback creates a new, approved changeset rather than silently rewinding history, auditors can see exactly what was reverted, when, and by whom. The `MPE_AUDIT` table retains the record of every intermediate state, so nothing is ever truly lost. For tables where data integrity is critical - regulatory reporting, actuarial assumptions, steering parameters - this is the difference between "we have no idea what happened" and "here is the complete chain of custody."
+
+This feature works for all temporal-aware load types (`UPDATE`, `TXTEMPORAL`, and `BITEMPORAL`) and respects SCD2 validity windows. And the whole process is built on the same open-source macro library that powers the rest of Data Controller - so you can inspect, test, and audit the code itself.
+
+Full documentation is here: https://docs.datacontroller.io/rollback-data-changes/
+
+<!--
+Source LinkedIn post:
+
+Oops!
+
+Despite all the checks and balances in Data Controller for SAS®, sometimes the wrong edits slip through.
+
+Since v6.8, you can roll back data changes to a previous version.
+
+It works by calculating every difference and submitting a new change for approval - so the rollback itself is reviewed and signed off, just like any other edit. The full audit history is preserved.
+
+Security is built in. Rollbacks respect the same access rules as edits, so not everyone can revert everything. And because every rollback creates a brand new audit trail entry, auditors can see exactly what was reverted, when, and by whom.
+
+The underlying process is open source.
+
+Link in the comments below 👇
+
+#sas #sasviya #datamanagement
+-->
+
+<!-- Image prompt:
+A dramatic flat-design meme illustration in the Data Controller brand style: two high-speed trains colliding head-on at the center of the frame, with data rows and spreadsheet cells flying out of the impact. A group of onlookers in business-casual attire stand in the foreground, heads bowed, looking on in shared sadness. Dark navy background, teal/green and muted orange accents. The collision represents conflicting data changes; the sad onlookers are the data stewards. Minimal text, no labels. Slightly stylised, not gory - suitable for a B2B data product audience. 16:9 landscape, suitable as a blog/feed cover image.
+-->