Configure metadata documentation layout for Engrafo Data Catalog

Owned by Peter Faber
Last updated: May 16, 2023
3 min read

A vital part of getting value from your data catalog is to have the right information. This might sound obvious, but it means it must be easy to configure your solution continuously, without the need for specialist developers who are often in short supply.

Luckily everyone with the right access can do this in Engrafo.

On this page of the Engrafo Guide you will find information about:

Create/edit units and fields in Engrafo Data Catalog 

The information pages for the data catalog in Engrafo consists of units which contain fields as to organize the information. It is all configured in the section “Configuration of the elements in the data catalog” in config.

Once you have understood what is a unit and what is a field as illustrated below, you are good to start configuring.

Although this can very easily be changed at a later state it is highly advisable to do a workshop with hands on stakeholders, to make sure the needs of everyone is met AND that you for starters follow the golden principal “less is more”

To add or configure a unit or field for a database, schema, table or column, simply click “create new”, give a name, type, placement, explanation, the right properties and wuptii… you now have a new metadata attribute to either be imported or manually edited by the people in the business with the right knowledge.

Types of fields and properties for fields in Engrafo Data Catalog 

Below is a pretty boring list of the types of fields you can make as metadata attributes and the properties you can give them. Elaboration is only provided where they aren’t mostly self-explanatory.

  • “link i Modal View” means it’s a URL you enter in the field, but the target website (or whatever) will open up in a frame inside Engrafo

  • “sample space” is an advanced field where you can separately upload a fixed sample space for a column with value and description. Classic examples could be zip code or gender.

  • The property “Multiple” for a field or unit means you can make multiple of the same field under a certain unit.

  • The property “Attribut” means the field will show up as an attribute in the overview section on the information page for a given table, schema, etc.

  • The property “Show at search” means this particular field will be included in the overview search results in the “Search” section of Engrafo