You can create queries to find assets. Queries are based on the properties and
relationships of a selected asset type.
Before you begin
Your role determines what query actions are available to you in the interface. For example, if
you have the Information Governance Catalog Basic User
role, you do not see the Queries tab because you are not authorized to work with queries.
To create a user query, you must have any Information Governance Catalog role except
Basic User.
To publish a query, you must have the Information Governance Catalog Glossary
Administrator or the Information Governance Catalog Information
Asset Administrator role.
About this task
You use the Available Properties list to populate the
Criteria and Display tabs. You can expand the list of
any related asset type to select properties or objects to list in the query result. You can add
multiple conditions and subconditions, selecting properties and related objects from the
Properties list to make the query results as precise as needed. By default,
all conditions and subconditions must be met, but you can change the setting so that any condition
can be met. You can set this value separately for each condition or each subcondition.
On the Criteria tab, you specify the conditions under which results are
returned.
Depending on the type of the property, you can narrow your query. For example, if the property is
type text, you can narrow your query by using Begins with,
Is null,
Is not,
or Contains.
If the property is type date, you can choose a date range by
using Is between
with begin and end dates. If the property is a relationship, you can choose
Is null
or Is not null.
Query results of an asset type with multiple many-valued properties can be displayed in the same
tab if each property is contained in the previous property. Otherwise, the query results might be
displayed among several tabs.
Procedure
-
If workflow is enabled, click either Glossary Development or
Catalog, depending on the catalog that you want to browse. Otherwise, click
Catalog.
-
Click Queries.
-
In the Manage Queries window, select New from the
menu.
-
From the Asset Type list, select the type of asset that you want to
build the query on.
The query returns the specified information about assets of this type and information
about any related assets that you specify.
- Optional:
Specify which results to display:
-
Click the Display tab. In the Available
Properties list, select a property or a related asset. Related assets are indicated by a
plus sign (+). You can expand a related asset to select its properties or related assets.
Double-click the asset or click the Select button .
The selected property or related asset is added to the Displayed
Properties list of the Display tab. You can select more
properties and add them to the list. You can reorder the displayed properties and rename the
displayed properties. If you rename a displayed property, only the labels in the display results are
affected by the name change.
-
Select the Display only those property values that match the query
criteria check box if you want to limit the query results to only those assets that
match the criteria in the Criteria tab.
If you select this check box, the criteria is applied to the asset on which you are making the
query and on all selected relationships.
For example, you want to create a query to display all databases that have a database table with
the prefix WHS. If the
Display only those property values that match the query
criteria check box is clear, the query results include the assets on which you are
making the query, all database tables, even those database tables without the prefix WHS.
Table 1. Query results when the check box is cleared
Asset Name |
Schemas |
Tables |
DW |
PRODUCT |
PLANT |
PRODUCTION |
WHS PRODUCT |
SALES |
WHS SALES |
PRODUCT |
PRODUCT |
PLANT |
WHS PRODUCT |
If the
Display only those property values that match the query criteria
check box is selected, the query results display the asset on which you are making the query and
only those database tables with the prefix WHS.
Table 2. Query results when the check box is selected
Asset Name |
Schemas |
Tables |
DW |
PRODUCT |
WHS PRODUCT |
SALES |
WHS SALES |
PRODUCT |
PRODUCT |
WHS PRODUCT |
When your query contains limitations on a property that includes multiple assets, for example
category path or data file path, and you select Display only those property values that
match the query criteria, only the portion of the property that matches the criteria is
displayed, rather than the entire property.
-
Select the Display the asset ID in the query results check box if you
want to include the asset ID in the query results.
When you save the query, the asset ID is not saved with the query. All other query properties are
saved.
- Optional:
Specify criteria for returning results:
-
On the Criteria tab, click the Add Condition
button, and then select Add Condition.
-
In the Available Properties list, select a property or a related asset.
Related assets are indicated by a plus sign (+). You can expand a related asset to select its
properties or related assets. Click the asset.
The selected property is displayed in the condition.
-
On the Criteria tab, specify a value for the selected property.
- Optional:
Click the numbered arrow on a condition to add sub-conditions or more conditions. Add
properties and specify values for each new condition or subcondition.
Pattern matching of text that you enter is case-sensitive and affects the query
results.
-
Specify whether all or any of the criteria must be met for the query to return results. To
change the specification, click All to change to Any,
or click Any to change to All. You must do this step
for all conditions and for each individual condition or subcondition that has subconditions.
If you do not specify criteria, the query returns all assets of the type that you select from
the Asset Type list.
-
Save the query:
-
In the Untitled Query window, click Save.
-
In the Save Query window, enter a name and description for the
query.
- Optional:
Select the Publish Query check box to publish the query so that other
users can see and run it.
This check box is not displayed if you do not have the correct role to publish queries.
-
Click Save.
Tip: If the Display the asset ID in the query results check box
is selected, the asset ID is not saved in the query. To see the query results with the asset ID,
click Run before you click Save.
Example
Example 1: A query whose results are shown in one tabYou design a query to list
databases, their schemas, and the database tables of those schemas. The database DW has three
database schemas. Each database schema has its own database tables.
In this query result, a
correlation exists between the database schema and the database tables that it contains.
Table 3. Query Results in a Single Tab that Show Correct Correlation
Asset Name |
Database Schemas |
Database Tables |
DW |
Product |
Plant |
WHS_Product |
Sales |
WHS_Sales |
Schema1 |
Process |
Example 2: A query whose results are shown in several tabsYou design a query
to list data classes, their description, their stewards, and the assets that they classify. One data
class is called ZipCode. Two stewards are assigned to this data class. ZipCode classifies two
database columns that are called Ohio and Washington.
In this query, the results are
displayed in two tabs. One tab for data class, description, and steward, and a second tab for data
class, description, and the assets that it classifies. The query results might show the following
data in each tab:
Table 4. Query Results in the Stewards Tab
Asset Name |
Description |
Stewards |
ZipCode |
Postal zip code |
Max |
Moritz |
Table 5. Query Results in the Classifies Assets Tab
Asset Name |
Description |
Classifies Asset |
ZipCode |
Postal zip code |
Ohio |
Washington |
Displaying the query results in two tabs prevents you from misinterpreting the results. In
this example, if the results were in a single tab, you might erroneously think that a correlation
exists between a steward and a classified asset. For example, you might think that Ohio is managed
by Max.
Table 6. Query Results in a Single Tab that Show Erroneous Correlation
Asset Name |
Description |
Stewards |
Classifies Asset |
ZipCode |
Postal zip code |
Max |
Ohio |
Moritz |
Washington |
Tip: To avoid any confusion of multiple tabs, design your query to be simple enough for
one tab, or divide the query into several queries.