# Monitor test duration vs actual transformation

**URL:** <https://discourse.getdbt.com/t/monitor-test-duration-vs-actual-transformation/11373>\
**Category:** Help\
**Tags:** testing, dbt-cloud, tools\
**Created:** [January 3, 2024, 9:01am UTC](https://discourse.getdbt.com/t/monitor-test-duration-vs-actual-transformation/11373 "2024-01-03T09:01:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![rpradal](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/discourse.getdbt.com/rpradal/32/3465_2.png) [@rpradal](https://discourse.getdbt.com/u/rpradal)\
**Post date:** [January 3, 2024, 9:01am UTC](https://discourse.getdbt.com/t/monitor-test-duration-vs-actual-transformation/11373/1 "2024-01-03T09:01:50Z")

</div>

## The problem I’m having

I would like to be able to keep my production pipeline within a reasonable time. To do so i would like to monitor easily how long my tests take vs the actual transformation.

## The context of why I’m trying to do this

I am using dbt cloud and my prod pipeline contain only the following command:

```auto
dbt build

```

Since the build does both `run` and `test`, when my pipeline duration is increasing i cannot see easily if this because of a slow test or a slow transformation

Do you have any idea how i can solve this problem ?

Should i split my pipeline in two steps:

```auto
dbt run
dbt test

```

In this case i am loosing the “run test directly after transformation, in DAG order” which i like

Thanks,

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![a\_slack\_user](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/discourse.getdbt.com/a_slack_user/32/1629_2.png) [@a\_slack\_user](https://discourse.getdbt.com/u/a_slack_user)\
**Post date:** [January 3, 2024, 1:50pm UTC](https://discourse.getdbt.com/t/monitor-test-duration-vs-actual-transformation/11373/2 "2024-01-03T13:50:44Z")

</div>

The run\_results.json includes execution time of each node that ran (models, tests, etc.) so you can parse that to get the data you’re looking for.

There are some packages that make this much easier to track over time, though. Including:  
• [https://hub.getdbt.com/brooklyn-data/dbt\_artifacts/latest/|dbt-artifacts](https://hub.getdbt.com/brooklyn-data/dbt_artifacts/latest/%7Cdbt-artifacts)  
• [https://hub.getdbt.com/elementary-data/elementary/latest/|elementary](https://hub.getdbt.com/elementary-data/elementary/latest/%7Celementary)

Note: `@Owen` originally [posted this reply in Slack](https://getdbt.slack.com/archives/CBSQTAPLG/p1704289837507469?thread_ts=1704272531.267309&cid=CBSQTAPLG). It might not have transferred perfectly.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![a\_slack\_user](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/discourse.getdbt.com/a_slack_user/32/1629_2.png) [@a\_slack\_user](https://discourse.getdbt.com/u/a_slack_user)\
**Post date:** [January 3, 2024, 1:51pm UTC](https://discourse.getdbt.com/t/monitor-test-duration-vs-actual-transformation/11373/3 "2024-01-03T13:51:19Z")

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Oh I should have included a link to more info about `run_results.json`: [https://docs.getdbt.com/reference/artifacts/run-results-json](https://docs.getdbt.com/reference/artifacts/run-results-json)

Note: `@Owen` originally [posted this reply in Slack](https://getdbt.slack.com/archives/CBSQTAPLG/p1704289865783219?thread_ts=1704272531.267309&cid=CBSQTAPLG). It might not have transferred perfectly.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![a\_slack\_user](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/discourse.getdbt.com/a_slack_user/32/1629_2.png) [@a\_slack\_user](https://discourse.getdbt.com/u/a_slack_user)\
**Post date:** [January 10, 2024, 3:56pm UTC](https://discourse.getdbt.com/t/monitor-test-duration-vs-actual-transformation/11373/4 "2024-01-10T15:56:04Z")

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hey \<@U0291GP2AQ0\>,  
do you happen to know what are the key differences between dbt-artifacts & elementary? I am currently looking into data observability tools/solutions for our dbt project and would welcome any advice on this topic.

Note: `@erik.kitzing` originally [posted this reply in Slack](https://getdbt.slack.com/archives/CBSQTAPLG/p1704902156778279?thread_ts=1704272531.267309&cid=CBSQTAPLG). It might not have transferred perfectly.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![a\_slack\_user](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/discourse.getdbt.com/a_slack_user/32/1629_2.png) [@a\_slack\_user](https://discourse.getdbt.com/u/a_slack_user)\
**Post date:** [January 10, 2024, 4:03pm UTC](https://discourse.getdbt.com/t/monitor-test-duration-vs-actual-transformation/11373/5 "2024-01-10T16:03:02Z")

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I don’t know, so my advice is to read the documentation on both and then choose whichever seems best-suited to your use cases.

Note: `@Owen` originally [posted this reply in Slack](https://getdbt.slack.com/archives/CBSQTAPLG/p1704902574691889?thread_ts=1704272531.267309&cid=CBSQTAPLG). It might not have transferred perfectly.