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Using Connection Manager

Introduction

The Connection manager is a one-stop shop for creating and managing organization-owned connections to your data sources. These connections can be used to:

  • Catalog your metadata

  • Access your data (either through a live table or through a data extract)

The Connection manager is the easiest way to create a connection to your data source to query either metadata or data. It uses a in-app dialog for all configuration options and doesn't need a script, file, or command-line interface. Besides being the easiest, it also renders the most basic metadata catalog. If you need more control over the parameters you use to catalog your data, one of the other methods of running a metadata cataloger might be a better choice for you.

Using the Connection manager

Notice

Users need to be Administrators in an organization to manage data source configurations with the Connection manager .

  1. Browse to the profile page of your organization and go to Settings > Connection manager.

    org_page_settings.png

  2. On the Settings tab go to the Connection manager section.

    Connection_manager_settings.png

From here you can

  • Create new connections

  • Edit existing connections

  • Manage tasks for the connection.

Create a connection

To create a new connection to your data sources, click the Add connection button.

org_profile_settings_connection_manager_newbutton.png

The dialog opened lists the database sources for which you can create an organization level connection:

org-level_connections.png

Select a source to be presented with the configuration screen for your connection.

Edit or delete existing connections

The Three dot menu to the right of a connection name gives options to:

  • Create task

  • Edit connection - links to the same configuration screen used to create the connection, and you need to have the same credentials (login, password, etc.) to change anything about the connection.

  • Delete connection prompts you to be sure you want to proceed, but does not require any further validation.

Three-dot_menu_connection_manager.png

Note

Any organization admin or other authorized person with the credentials for a connection can modify it, and any data steward or other authorized person with access to the Connection manager can delete connections.

org_profile_settings_connection_manager_manage_connections.png

Tasks

A metadata task catalogs the metadata for a data source and places the extracted information into a specified Collection. For now, the system only supports creating metadata tasks. Use the Create task option available in the Three dot menu to the right of a connection to create a new task for the configured connection.

Note

Before creating a task you need to have a collection in which to put your task output. The collection must be created before the task.

Caution

Tasks work with version 2.x of the data.world Collector. If you are still using the Collector v1.x, see the article on data.world Collector v2.0 for more information.

org_profile_settings_connection_manager_manage_create_task.png

  1. The Create task button opens a dialog where you can configure your new task. To create a task you will be prompted to choose a database and schema as appropriate. You also need to add it to a collection.

    connections_new_task.png

  2. The Three dot menu to the right of each task gives options to sync, edit, or delete the tasks.

    • Sync runs the task again, pulling in any new metadata.

    • Edit task details opens the Edit task window where you can change any of the original configuration (database, schema, or collection),

    • Delete task removes the task.

    connections_manage_task.png
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