Creating queries

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

  1. If workflow is enabled, click either Glossary Development or Catalog, depending on the catalog that you want to browse. Otherwise, click Catalog.
  2. Click Queries.
  3. In the Manage Queries window, select New from the menu.
  4. 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.
  5. Optional: Specify which results to display:
    1. 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 Select.
      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.
    2. 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.

    3. 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.

  6. Optional: Specify criteria for returning results:
    1. On the Criteria tab, click the Add Condition button, and then select Add Condition.
    2. 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.
    3. On the Criteria tab, specify a value for the selected property.
    4. 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.

    5. 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.
  7. Save the query:
    1. In the Untitled Query window, click Save.
    2. In the Save Query window, enter a name and description for the query.
    3. 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.
    4. 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 tab

You 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 tabs

You 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.