Linked Sources
What is a linked source
Linked Source is an object in Dataedo that stores information about connections to external sources used by the documented database.
For example, Analysis Services can be loaded with data from another database. In such case, the Linked Source will be an object that stores connection information to that other database.
Linked sources therefore are added to Dataedo objects linked with external sources, representing information about the origin of the data. More about adding Linked Sources to objects can be found below.
Linked source is a key element in building automatic lineage for objects that take part in the flow of data from external sources. More about Data Lineage in this section.
Contents
Linked Sources keep the information regarding your data's origin, they also store the connection string, which is documented in table form as Connection Details.
Linked Source objects can have a description.
Sensitive data in connection string
Connection String sometimes may contain sensitive data that should not be documented. The following phrases will be removed from the connection details if detected:
- "account"
- "user"
- "login"
- "password"
- "auth"
- "token"
- "key"
- "encryptedcredential"
Matching the source
The main purpose of Linked Sources is linking an object to the documentation of an existing database in Dataedo.
If an external data inflow is detected, our Metadata Import interface will give you the option to manually link an object to an already existing data source. The Data in your target Database can be derived from multiple sources, so you can map multiple databases to one linked source.
Reviewing linked sources
Linked sources fulfill two roles in Dataedo. First, is to keep track of connections and dependencies between databases in your repository. This is especially useful when it comes to representing repository-wide lineage.
This connection can be viewed In Portal, using the Linked Sources tab of a connection. There, you can change the Database a Linked Source points to, or add a description, by clicking the edit button.
Desktop lets you view this facet of Linked Sources by using the Linked Sources folder.
The second role is more nuanced. A Linked Source points to individual objects that derive from it. This allows for a quick reference regarding data's origin, and ensures that your data flows are properly documented. This interaction is asymmetrical — an object can have one linked source assigned to it, but a linked source can point to multiple objects. Currently the object-linked source connection can be viewed only in Desktop. You can find an object's Linked Source in the Metadata & Settings tab.
Data Lineage by linked source
If a linked source is assigned to the object, it will affect the creation of Data lineage. Dataedo uses the information contained in the Linked Source to find the matching source table and column flow when generating Data Lineage.
If you change the mapped database(s) of a linked source, then Lineage Diagram will change accordingly after the next metadata reimport.
If several documentations are assigned to single Linked Source, lineage will be built to first matching object from source documentations.
