Improve Move Error Messages by Identifying Duplicate Signifier Conflicts
When a move operation fails due to a duplicate signifier/Full Name conflict, the error message should explicitly identify: (1) the specific attribute causing the conflict (e.g., Full Name vs. Display Name), and (2) the name/ID of the conflicting asset in the destination domain — to allow users to quickly locate and resolve the conflict without manual investigation.
Scenario
While moving a batch of Reporting Metrics from the New Metrics domain to the Common Metrics domain, the move action completed with no visible outcome. To troubleshoot, I reviewed the Activities log and encountered the following error:
“An asset with signifier ‘Backordered Open Amount’ already exists for domain ‘Common Metrics’ (id=1888d924-aa0d-4f71-9376-27889e81a52c).”
This error was misleading because no asset named “Backordered Open Amount” exists in the New Metrics domain. After additional investigation, the root cause was identified as a duplicate signifier conflict driven by attribute values:
Display Name: Add-On Charges
Full Name: Backordered Open Amount
The conflict was triggered by the Full Name attribute, not the Display Name users typically reference. However, the error message did not specify which attribute caused the conflict nor clearly identify the conflicting asset in the destination domain, making the issue difficult to diagnose.
Impact / Why This Matters
Increases troubleshooting time: Users must manually inspect multiple attributes and domains to determine the source of the conflict.
Creates confusion: Error messages reference values that are not visible in the source domain’s Asset Name, leading users to believe the wrong asset is involved.
Reduces workflow efficiency: Bulk move operations are interrupted by non‑actionable error messages, slowing governance and catalog maintenance.
Improves usability and trust: Explicitly identifying the conflicting attribute (e.g., Full Name vs. Display Name) and the target asset ID would allow users to quickly locate and resolve conflicts without guesswork.
