Preparing to install InfoSphere Metadata Asset Manager and bridges to import and export metadata

Components of InfoSphere® Metadata Asset Manager are installed automatically with the suite on the services and repository tiers. To use bridges and connectors you must install additional software. When you install the metadata interchange agent with bridges, you can use bridges to import and export metadata with InfoSphere Metadata Asset Manager.

About InfoSphere Metadata Asset Manager

InfoSphere Metadata Asset Manager provides robust functionality for importing metadata. You use bridges or connectors in InfoSphere Metadata Asset Manager to import metadata assets from applications, files, and databases and to export database schemas.

InfoSphere Metadata Asset Manager has replaced Import Export Manager as the tool for importing and exporting metadata.

You import the metadata to a staging area where you can analyze the source metadata and preview the results before you share it to the metadata repository. You can browse and search the metadata repository and manage common metadata assets. The staging area is a schema within the metadata repository database that stores staged imports for InfoSphere Metadata Asset Manager.

Prerequisites for installing bridges

You install the metadata interchange agent on a Windows computer on the client tier.
Important: Because the Windows computer runs as a shared resource among users, use a Windows Server, not a laptop. The server must have firewall rules that allow inbound TCP/IP communication coming from the services tier.

If necessary, you can install the bridges from the latest version on the same computer as the bridges from an earlier version of InfoSphere Information Server. However, you must install into a different folder and use a different port number for the metadata interchange server.

The following components are automatically installed on the client tier computer:
  • Metadata interchange agent
  • InfoSphere Metadata Integration Bridges
  • WebSphere Application Server Liberty Profile. If the client tier and the services tier are on the same computer and Liberty Profile is already installed, an additional profile is installed for the metadata interchange agent.

Designating metadata interchange servers

During installation, a metadata interchange server is usually automatically designated for each client tier computer where the bridges are installed and each engine tier computer where the connectors are installed.

When you import or export by using InfoSphere Metadata Asset Manager, you select a metadata interchange server on which bridges, connectors, or both are installed. Then you specify the bridge or connector that you want to use for the import or export.

In a distributed computer topology, when you install the bridges on a computer, the computer's metadata interchange server is automatically designated unless you are installing a client computer and IBM® InfoSphere Information Server has not yet been installed on the services tier computer. If you install bridges on the client computer before you install InfoSphere Information Server on the services tier computer, you can manually designate the client computer's metadata interchange server on the Administration tab of InfoSphere Metadata Asset Manager or on the command line after the installation of InfoSphere Information Server. When you manually designate a metadata interchange server, you must specify the HTTPS port for the computer. The default HTTPS port is 19443.

The IBM InfoSphere Streams bridge and the IBM InfoSphere Master Data Management bridge. which are installed on the services tier automatically, are available to use with any metadata interchange server.

For more information, see Metadata interchange servers.

Preparing to use bridges and connectors

Table 1. Installing bridges and connectors to use with InfoSphere Metadata Asset Manager
Bridge or connector Tier Requirements
Bridges:
  • ERwin 7 Data Modeler (File)
  • ERwin 8 Data Modeler (File)
  • ERwin 9 Data Modeler (File)
  • IBM Cognos BI Reporting - Content Manager
  • IBM Db2 Cube Views
  • IBM Db2 Warehouse Manager (via CWM XMI)
  • IBM InfoSphere Data Architect MetaBroker
  • IBM InfoSphere Discovery MetaBroker
  • IDERA ER/Studio Business Architect (via DM1)
  • IDERA/Studio Data Architect
  • Microsoft SQL Server Analysis and Reporting Services (Repository)
  • MicroStrategy
  • OMG CWM 1 XMI 1
  • Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition
  • Oracle Hyperion Application Builder (via CWM XMI)
  • Oracle Warehouse Builder (via CWM XMI)
  • QlikView Files Import
  • SAP BusinessObjects Repository
  • SAP PowerDesigner CDM
  • SAP PowerDesigner LDM
  • SAP PowerDesigner PDM
  • SAS Data Integration Studio (via CWM XMI)
  • Tableau Server (Repository)
Client

Install Metadata interchange agent and bridges. All of the listed bridges are installed. The metadata interchange agent enables interaction between these bridges and InfoSphere Metadata Asset Manager.

The computer on which you install the metadata interchange agent and bridges must meet the prerequisites and system requirements for installing bridges. For a list of installation prerequisites, see System requirements for InfoSphere Metadata Integration Bridges.

Bridges:
  • HDFS
  • IBM Cognos TM1
  • IBM InfoSphere Streams
  • IBM InfoSphere Master Data Management
Services These bridges are installed automatically when you install the services tier.
Connectors:
  • Amazon S3
  • File
  • Greenplum
  • IBM Cognos TM1
  • IBM InfoSphere Db2®
  • IBM Netezza®
  • JDBC
  • ODBC
  • Oracle
  • Teradata
Engine tier
Install one of the following products on the engine tier:
  • InfoSphere DataStage® and QualityStage®
  • InfoSphere Information Analyzer
All of the listed connectors are installed.