Create References Between Catalog Objects

Alation Cloud Service Applies to Alation Cloud Service instances of Alation

Customer Managed Applies to customer-managed instances of Alation

You can use a type of custom field called an object set to create references (links) between catalog objects. Once a reference has been created, the two objects display links to each other, enabling you to navigate back and forth and find related information. For example, you can create references from RDBMS objects to documents, from documents to other documents, or from RDBMS objects to policies.

Important

To enable references between objects, a Catalog Admin or Server Admin must first create the object set custom field and apply it to a template for the relevant object type, also ensuring that the Backreference field object-defined field appears in the template. The back reference field is where the back reference to the RDBMS object will appear on the document page once the link is created.

Examples of several back reference combinations follow.

RDBMS Object to Document

You can link an RDBMS object (such as a data source, schema, table, or column) to a document object using an object set field on the RDBMS object. Once the link exists, the document automatically displays a back reference to the RDBMS object under a field name defined as the back reference field in the object set’s Backreference configuration.

Before you begin, a Catalog Admin or Server Admin must create an object set field (for example, Governing Documents) and add it to the relevant RDBMS object template, also ensuring that the Backreference field object-defined field appears in the template.

To create an RDBMS object to document back reference:

  1. Navigate to the RDBMS object page you want to link. You can reach it by browsing the Data Catalog or by searching.

  2. Locate the object set field on the catalog page and click the + Add button next to it.

    ../../_images/CustomTemplates_CreateReferences_AddObjectSetValue.png

  3. In the quick search dialog that opens, enter the name of the document you want to link and select it from the results.

    ../../_images/CustomTemplates_CreateReferences_SelectDocumentToLink.png

  4. The document now appears in the object set field on the RDBMS object page. The document page automatically displays a back reference to this RDBMS object in the corresponding back reference field.

    • The screenshot below shows a data source catalog page with a link to a document in the Governing Documents field.

      ../../_images/CustomTemplates_CreateReferences_ViewObjectSetLink.png

    • The next screenshot shows the document page with a back reference to the data source in the Governed Data Sources back reference field.

      ../../_images/CustomTemplates_CreateReferences_ViewBackReference.png

Note

For more guidance on when to use this pattern and how it compares to placing an object set field on the document, see Best Practices for Object Set Fields.

Document to Document

You can link one document to another using an object set field on the source document. Once the link exists, the target document automatically displays a back reference to the source document under a field name defined as the back reference field in the object set’s Backreference configuration.

Before you begin, a Catalog Admin or Server Admin must create an object set field (for example, Related Documents) that permits the Document object type and add it to the relevant document template.

To create a document to document back reference:

  1. Navigate to the source document page. You can reach it through its document hub or by searching the catalog.

  2. Locate the object set field on the document page and click the + Add button next to it.

  3. In the search dialog, enter the name of the document you want to link and select it from the results.

  4. The target document now appears in the object set field on the source document page. The target document automatically displays a back reference to the source document.

RDBMS Object to Policy

You can link an RDBMS object to a policy using an object set field on the RDBMS object. Once the link exists, the policy automatically displays a back reference to the RDBMS object under a field name defined as the back reference field in the object set’s Backreference configuration.

Note

The Data Governance app is required to work with policies and is priced and licensed separately from the Data Catalog.

Before you begin, a Catalog Admin or Server Admin must create an object set field (for example, Governing Policies) that permits the Policy object type and add it to the relevant RDBMS object template.

To create an RDBMS object to policy back reference:

  1. Navigate to the RDBMS object page you want to link. You can reach it by browsing the Data Catalog or by searching the catalog.

  2. Locate the object set field on the catalog page (for example, Governing Policies) and click the + Add button next to it.

  3. In the search dialog, enter the name of the policy you want to link and select it from the results.

  4. The policy now appears in the object set field on the RDBMS object page. The policy page automatically displays a back reference to this RDBMS object in the corresponding back reference field.

RDBMS Object to BI Object

You can link an RDBMS object to a BI object (BI folder, BI report, BI report column, BI data source, or BI data source column) using an object set field on the RDBMS object. Once the link exists, the BI object automatically displays a back reference to the RDBMS object under a field name defined as the back reference field in the object set’s Backreference Configuration.

Before you begin, a Catalog Admin or Server Admin must create an object set field (for example, Related BI Assets) that permits the relevant BI object types and add it to the relevant RDBMS object template.

To create an RDBMS object to BI object back reference:

  1. Navigate to the RDBMS object page you want to link. You can reach it by browsing the Data Catalog or by searching the catalog.

  2. Locate the object set field on the catalog page and click the + Add button next to it.

  3. In the search dialog, enter the name of the BI object you want to link and select it from the results.

  4. The BI object now appears in the object set field on the RDBMS object page. The BI object page automatically displays a back reference to this RDBMS object in the corresponding back reference field.

RDBMS Object to RDBMS Object

You can link one RDBMS object to another RDBMS object using an object set field on the source RDBMS object. Once the link exists, the target RDBMS object automatically displays a back reference to the source RDBMS object under a field name defined as the back reference field in the object set’s Backreference configuration.

Before you begin, a Catalog Admin or Server Admin must create an object set field (for example, Related Datasets) that permits the required RDBMS object type and add it to the relevant RDBMS object template.

To create an RDBMS object to RDBMS object back reference:

  1. Navigate to the RDBMS object page you want to link. You can reach it by browsing the Data Catalog or by searching the catalog.

  2. Select the + Add icon next to the custom field to enter the title of the desired RDBMS object to be referenced and click the desired RDBMS object. The associated back reference is now created and appears on the source object page in the object set field.

  3. Clicking through on the newly created reference opens the catalog page of the linked RDBMS object. The linked RDBMS object page automatically displays a back reference to the source RDBMS object in the corresponding back reference field.