Every pipeline moves through the same lifecycle: you configure it, deploy it, and then manage it while it runs, restarting, pausing, or resuming it as needed. This page covers what each control in the pipeline header does, what the status pills mean, and what to watch for when pausing a pipeline for an extended period.

Overview

The pipeline header controls the entire lifecycle of a pipeline, from the first deployment through every restart and pause afterward. Available actions depend on whether the pipeline has been deployed before, whether you have unsaved changes, and whether it is currently running. Understanding these states helps you avoid unexpected data loss and know exactly what a button will do before you click it.

Deploying for the First Time

To deploy a pipeline for the first time, click Deploy in the pipeline header. If everything is configured correctly, the button's tooltip reads "Ready to deploy — Pipeline will be deployed in its current state with the latest changes." While the deployment is in progress, the button changes to Deploying, with a tooltip explaining that the system needs a few minutes. Once the deployment finishes, you'll see a confirmation that the pipeline deployed successfully.

If Deploy is disabled, hover over it to see why. The three most common reasons are: the pipeline is incomplete (a source, destination, object, or schema is missing, or there are validation errors); the pipeline is already being updated by another deploy, stop, or restart action; or a connection is inactive. Validation errors also appear on the affected tabs so you know what to fix.

After your first deployment, Deploy becomes a menu with three options, since there is now a difference between what is live and what you have changed since.

Deploy — pushes your unpublished changes and resumes the pipeline from its last checkpoint. This option is disabled when the current version is already deployed.
Restart Currently Deployed — reruns the live version of the pipeline from the beginning. It does not pick up any changes you have made since the last deploy.
Deploy & Restart — pushes your unpublished changes and restarts the pipeline from the beginning.

Each option confirms success with a matching message, so you always know which action completed.

When a Pipeline Can't Be Resumed

Deploy normally resumes a pipeline from where it left off. Sometimes that is not possible, for example if the pipeline was paused long enough that the source's history has expired. In that case, clicking Deploy opens a Pipeline cannot be Resumed dialog explaining why. Restart is offered as the primary action, with Deploy & Restart also available if you have unpublished changes. Either way, restarting means the pipeline reprocesses everything from the beginning rather than continuing from its last checkpoint.

Draft & Unpublished Changes

Two status pills tell you how the pipeline you are viewing compares to what is live.

Draft — the pipeline has never been deployed.
Unpublished Changes — the pipeline is deployed, but you have saved edits since; hover over the pill to see when. Deploy to push those changes live.

If neither pill appears, the deployed version matches what you see on screen.

Pausing & Resuming

You can pause a running pipeline using the toggle, available in both the pipeline list and the pipeline header. Before pausing, the platform warns that if the pipeline stays paused longer than the log retention period, it can lead to permanent pipeline failure. Keep this in mind when pausing for maintenance or troubleshooting, since the longer the pause, the greater the risk data cannot be recovered.

Warning: a pipeline paused beyond the log retention period may not be recoverable. Resume it as soon as you can.

To bring a paused pipeline back online, flip the toggle again. If it can resume safely, it picks up right where it left off. If not, you'll see the same restart dialog described above, and you'll need to restart instead. A pipeline that failed while it was running is marked Paused with errors, so you can tell it apart from one you paused intentionally.

Notes

Deploy menu wording changes based on the pipeline's state, so read the tooltip before clicking if you're unsure what an action will do.
A long pause is the main risk to watch for. Resume as soon as you can to avoid crossing the log retention window.
Restarting always reprocesses the pipeline from the beginning, even in cases where a resume would normally have been possible.

Deploy, Restart & Pause