Topology diagram for InfoSphere Metadata Asset Manager

The components of InfoSphere Metadata Asset Manager are distributed across multiple tiers. Components are installed automatically on the services, and repository tier, and manually on the client tier.

The following graphic displays the topology and import flow for InfoSphere® Metadata Asset Manager.

Graphic shows the flow of metadata from third-party tools, files and databases, through bridges and connectors and into the metadata repository, as detailed in the following section.

InfoSphere Metadata Asset Manager is a web client that runs on supported Firefox and Internet Explorer browsers.

You import metadata from tools, databases, and files by using bridges or connectors.

To use most bridges, you install the metadata interchange agent and bridges on a Microsoft Windows computer on the client tier. WebSphere® Application Server Liberty Profile is installed with the metadata interchange agent.

To use connectors, you install the connectors by installing either InfoSphere DataStage® and QualityStage® or InfoSphere Information Analyzer on a Windows, Unix, or Linux computer on the engine tier. The IBM InfoSphere Streams bridge and the IBM InfoSphere Master Data Management bridge are installed automatically on the services tier.

During installation, the computers that the bridges and connectors are installed on are automatically designated as metadata interchange servers. For some client-only installations, the Common Metadata Administrator designates the metadata server after installation.

Servlets and services for InfoSphere Metadata Asset Manager are installed on the services tier, along with suite services.

The staging area schema for InfoSphere Metadata Asset Manager is created automatically in the metadata repository database when you install the suite and create the default DB2 database for the metadata repository. You must create it manually as part of configuring Oracle or SQL Server databases for the metadata repository.

When you import metadata by using bridges or connectors, the contents of the import are stored in the staging area, where you can analyze the assets and preview the results of sharing the import to the metadata repository. Until you share the import, other users cannot see or work with the import contents. When you share the import to the metadata repository, other suite users can view and work with the imported assets.