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 elementary.execution_sla Verifies that dbt models are executed successfully before a specified SLA deadline time. This test checks whether your pipeline ran before a specified deadline on the days you care about. It queries dbt_run_results for successful runs of the model and validates that at least one run completed before the SLA deadline. Note that this test only verifies that the model executed, not that the data is actually fresh. If you need to verify that the underlying data was updated (e.g., an upstream source refreshed), use data_freshness_sla instead.

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Use Case

“Did my pipeline complete before 7 AM Pacific on the days I care about?”

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Test Logic

  1. If today is not a scheduled check day → PASS (skip)
  2. Query dbt_run_results for successful runs of the model today
  3. If any run completed before the SLA deadline → PASS
  4. If SLA deadline hasn’t passed yet → PASS (still time)
  5. If model ran but after deadline → FAIL (MISSED_SLA)
  6. If all runs failed → FAIL (ALL_FAILED)
  7. If model didn’t run today → FAIL (NOT_RUN)

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Test configuration

Required configuration: sla_time, timezone 
data_tests:
  — elementary.execution_sla:
    arguments:
      sla_time: string # Required - e.g., “07:00”, “7am”, “2:30pm”, “14:30”
      timezone: string # Required - IANA timezone name, e.g., “America/Los_Angeles”, “Europe/Amsterdam”
      day_of_week: string | array # Optional - Day(s) to check: “Monday” or [“Monday”, “Wednesday”]
      day_of_month: int | array # Optional - Day(s) of month to check: 1 or [1, 15]
models:
  - name: < model name >
    data_tests:
      - elementary.execution_sla:
          arguments:
            sla_time: < deadline time > # Required - e.g., "07:00", "7am", "2:30pm"
            timezone: < IANA timezone > # Required - e.g., "America/Los_Angeles"
            day_of_week: < day or array > # Optional
            day_of_month: < day or array > # Optional

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Features

  • Flexible time formats: Supports "07:00", "7am", "2:30pm", "14:30", and other common formats
  • IANA timezone support: Uses standard timezone names like "America/Los_Angeles", "Europe/Amsterdam", etc.
  • Automatic DST handling: Uses pytz for timezone conversions with automatic daylight saving time handling
  • Database-agnostic: All timezone logic happens at compile time
  • Schedule filters: Optional day_of_week and day_of_month parameters to check only specific days

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Parameters

ParameterRequiredDescription
sla_timeYesDeadline time (e.g., "07:00", "7am", "2:30pm")
timezoneYesIANA timezone name (e.g., "America/Los_Angeles")
day_of_weekNoDay(s) to check: "Monday" or ["Monday", "Wednesday"]
day_of_monthNoDay(s) of month to check: 1 or [1, 15]

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Notes

  • This test only works with models, not sources
  • The test automatically skips on non-scheduled days (when day_of_week or day_of_month filters are set)
  • If both day_of_week and day_of_month are set, the test uses OR logic (checks if either matches)
  • The test passes if the SLA deadline hasn’t been reached yet, giving your pipeline time to complete