Data connections in InfoSphere Metadata Asset Manager
You use data connections when you import common metadata assets by using a connector or bridge. A data connection is a reusable connection between a data source, such as a database, data file folder, or data file, and InfoSphere® Information Server. After you create a data connection in InfoSphere Metadata Asset Manager and use it to share data to the metadata repository, it is stored and available for other users to use.
- Name of the data connection (required)
- User name
- Connection-specific parameter (required, see Table 1)
- Host of the data source that the data connection accesses
The connection-specific parameter differs depending on the type of connection that you are using. The following table shows the connection-specific parameter for each type of connector:
| Connector or bridge | Connection string parameter |
|---|---|
| Amazon S3 connector | Region |
| Greenplum connector | Data source |
| HDFS bridge | Host on which the InfoSphere BigInsights® web console is installed |
| IBM DB2 connector | Database |
| JDBC connector | URL to data source |
| ODBC connector | Data source |
| Oracle connector | Server |
| Teradata connector | Server |
| Netezza connector | Data source |
Rules for creating and editing data connections
- When no import has been shared to the metadata repository from the import area that you are working in, you can select an existing data connection or create a new data connection. You can edit any of the properties of the data connection, even after running imports, as long as you do not share an import to the metadata repository.
- After an import has been shared to the metadata repository from the import area that you are working in, you can change only the password of the data connection while working in that import area. However, you can select and edit the data connection if you create a new import area.
If you change the identity of a data connection by editing the name, user name, or connection string of a data connection, a new data connection is created after your import area is shared to the metadata repository. If you create a data connection that has the same identity properties as an existing data connection, when the import is shared to the metadata repository your new data connection overwrites the existing data connection.
If you edit the description or password of a data connection, the changed information is saved in the staging area. Because the description and password are not part of the data connection’s identity, when you share the staged import to the metadata repository, the changes are merged into the existing data connection.
When you create or edit a data connection you must save the password if you want to be able to use the data connection in InfoSphere Information Analyzer. By default, you can save the required password or security when you create or edit a data connection. The Common Metadata Administrator can turn off the ability to save such passwords by changing the import settings on the Administration tab of InfoSphere Metadata Asset Manager.
If you have a data connection named Customer information DB2 database and you edit the data connection, and change only the name of the data connection to New customer information DB2 database, after you share the import area that uses the New customer information DB2 database data connection, you end up with two data connections. The data connections Customer information DB2 database and New customer information DB2 database will both exist in the list of data connections.
The connections have all of the same parameters, except for the name. You can delete the Customer information DB2 database data connection if you plan to use only New customer information DB2 database.