Overview of InfoSphere Metadata Asset Manager

You use InfoSphere® Metadata Asset Manager to import, export, and manage common metadata assets, which are vital to all components of the InfoSphere Information Server suite. You can import assets to a staging area before you share them to the metadata repository. In the metadata repository, you can export assets, browse and search for common metadata assets, set implementation relationships between them, and merge duplicates.

When you share imports to the metadata repository, the imported assets are available to users of other suite tools. Other users can analyze the assets, use them in jobs, assign them to terms, or designate stewards for the assets. Until you share the import, the assets are not visible in the metadata repository and cannot be used by suite tools.

Common metadata assets include the following types:
  • Implemented data resources, such as database tables and data files
  • Physical data model assets, such as design tables and design columns
  • Logical data model assets, such as logical entities, entity attributes, and relationships
  • Business intelligence (BI) assets, such as BI models, BI collections, and BI reports that are based on database tables
  • Data connections and custom attributes

To use InfoSphere Metadata Asset Manager, you must be assigned one of the common metadata roles.

InfoSphere Metadata Asset Manager uses the following types of import tools:
  • InfoSphere Metadata Integration Bridges, which import metadata from many types of tools, files, and databases, including IBM® Cognos®, CA ERwin, InfoSphere Data Architect, Hadoop Distributed Filing System, InfoSphere MDM, and SAP BusinessObjects. Some bridges import additional types of metadata, such as analysis information from InfoSphere Discovery, endpoints from InfoSphere Streams.
  • InfoSphere Information Server connectors, which import database metadata from databases such as Amazon S3, Greenplum, Teradata, Oracle, Netezza, and DB2®, and by using ODBC and JDBC connections.
The tasks that you perform in InfoSphere Metadata Asset Manager are divided into three main areas, each of which has its own tab:
  • Import, where you analyze and preview the contents of the import in a staging area before you share it to the metadata repository
  • Repository Management, where you find, inspect, manage. and export assets that are in the metadata repository
  • Administration, where you set import policies and manage the metadata interchange servers where bridges and connectors are installed

To log in to InfoSphere Metadata Asset Manager, connect to the following URL in your browser: https://server:port/ibm/iis/imam/console, where server is the name or IP address of the services tier computer, and port is the port number. The default port number is 9443 for HTTPS.

Importing assets to the staging area

The contents and parameters of each import are saved to an import area in the staging area, regardless of whether you choose to share the import to the metadata repository. The staging area is a separate schema in the metadata repository that is not visible to users of other tools in the suite. When you run a new import, you create an import area that contains the staged import. When you reimport from an import area, it creates a new staged import in the same import area.

Importing assets involves the following tasks:

  1. Naming the import area and choosing the metadata interchange server that you want to run bridges and connectors from. You can choose a local or remote computer.
  2. Selecting a bridge or connector to import from the database, file, or tool that contains the assets that you want to import.
  3. Specifying parameter values for the bridge or connector, and in some cases selecting the specific assets to import.

    When you specify parameter values for connectors, you must create a data connection or select an existing data connection. A data connection is a reusable connection between a data source, such as a database, and InfoSphere Information Server. After you create a data connection and share the import to the metadata repository, the data connection is stored and available for other users to use to connect to the data source that is specified in the data connection details.  Common Metadata Importers can create data connections in the import wizard. Common Metadata Administrators update data connections on the Import tab and delete data connections on the Repository Management tab.

  4. Specifying identity parameters if you are importing database assets, logical data models, or physical data models. Identity parameters help prevent the creation of duplicate assets and help ensure that existing assets are not overwritten by mistake.
  5. Selecting whether to perform an express import or a managed import.
    Express import
    The source metadata is imported to the staging area, where it is analyzed and previewed automatically. Your administrator’s settings determine whether the import is shared automatically to the metadata repository or if you are required to view a preview before you manually share the import to the metadata repository.
    Managed import
    The source metadata is imported to the staging area, where you manually analyze the import contents and preview the result of sharing it to the metadata repository. When you are satisfied with the contents of the import, you share the import assets to the metadata repository.

You can use the istool command line to transfer import areas between instances of InfoSphere Information Server.

Analyzing, previewing, and sharing to the metadata repository

In the staging area, you can analyze the import contents to see if there are duplicates or identity issues. If such issues exist, you can fix them in the source tool and then reimport the assets. Reimporting creates a new staged import in the same import area. You can compare the contents of the newest staged import with previous staged imports.

When the analysis results are satisfactory, you can preview the result of sharing the import to the metadata repository. You can browse to see which existing assets in the repository will be created and merged as a result of the import, and you can view the list of deleted assets. You can open InfoSphere Information Governance Catalog, if it is installed, to further examine assets that are in the repository.

You can reimport and, before sharing, change the import parameters to ensure that you are importing the precise chosen content. When you are satisfied with the preview, you can share the staged import to the metadata repository. You can then browse the results of the sharing process.

Exporting assets in the metadata repository

On the Repository Management tab, you can export databases, database schemas, and the database tables that they contain.

You select a database or a database schema to export. You use the OMG CWM 1 XMI 1 bridge to export to a file that is compliant with the Object Management Group (OMG) Common Warehouse Metamodel (CWM) XML Metadata Interchange (XMI) file format.

Managing assets in the metadata repository

On the Repository Management tab, you can browse and search for common metadata assets.

If there are duplicate assets in the metadata repository, you can find them and then merge or delete them. If there are disconnected assets, which are assets that have become separated from their original containing assets, you can inspect and delete them.

You can view and set implementation relationships between logical data models, physical data models, database schemas, and data files. These relationships help you trace the evolution of assets from their conception in design tools to their implementation in databases and data files.

You can assign stewards to assets and add notes to assets. You can delete assets from the metadata repository.