Custom attributes for assets and artifacts (Watson Knowledge Catalog)(Legacy UI)

Service This feature is not available by default. An administrator must install the base version of the Watson Knowledge Catalog service on the IBM Cloud Pak for Data platform. To determine whether the service is installed, open the Services catalog and check whether the service is enabled.

You can access the menu options for custom attributes and manage custom attribute definitions.

Required permissions

You must have the following user permissions:

  • Access advanced governance
  • Manage information assets
  • Administer platform
  • Manage glossary

Otherwise, the options are hidden.

Custom attributes are custom properties that you create to use with information assets and governance artifacts. You create custom attributes when the standard properties of assets and artifacts, such as name and description, are insufficient or do not meet your business needs.

Each custom attribute has a name, a description, and asset or artifact types that the custom attribute can be applied to. The data type of the value of the custom attribute can be text, predefined values, date, number, or relationship for information assets and governance artifacts. By default, custom attributes other than those of type relationship contain a single value. Alternatively, you can choose to allow multiple values. The custom attribute values can be predefined for the user to select from. Custom attributes of the type relationship are multi-valued by default.

Custom attributes can be applied to:

  • Governance artifacts. Applying custom attributes to classifications and reference data is supported only by using Watson Data APIs.
  • Information assets

You can use custom attributes of the type relationship to define relationships between information assets or between governance artifacts. However, you cannot define relationships between information assets or catalog assets and governance artifacts.

Managing custom attribute definitions

To manage custom attribute definitions for governance artifacts and information assets, open Administration > Custom attributes. In this view, you can create custom attributes of the data types text, predefined values, date, number, or relationship and later edit or delete them. These actions are available from the menu on the header. You can also import or export custom attribute definitions by using an XML file. See Import and export file formats.

To create, update, or delete custom attribute definitions for governance artifacts, you can also use the Watson Data APIs.

Custom attributes for other assets must be defined in custom assets types. Use the Watson Data APIs to define these asset types.

The Restrict option for custom attributes does not have any effect.

Assigning custom attribute values

You can assign custom attribute values and later update or delete them:

  • Governance artifacts: go to the details section of the artifact. You can find governance artifacts in Governance.
  • Assets in catalog or projects: go to the details section of the asset in a catalog. Only custom attributes of type string, integer, and date are visible in the UI. Use the API to manage other custom attributes.
  • Information assets: edit the asset in the Information assets view and go to the general information section.

Learn more

Parent topic: Administering Watson Knowledge Catalog