Column

You can run forward and reverse lineage analysis to trace metadata at the column level. Forward lineage analysis generates a lineage with the column as source. And, reverse lineage analysis generates a lineage with the column as target. The Dual-Combined View lineage analysis generates a lineage, which includes both forward and reverse lineage.

Viewing Lineage

To run lineage analyzer at the column level, follow these steps:

  1. Go to Application Menu > Data Catalog > Mapping Manager.
  2. In the Workspace Mappings pane, click the required mapping.

    3. The Mapping Specification grid appears.

  3. Select a row.
  4. Right-click a column and hover over Lineage Analyzer.

    5. The options available for Linear Analyzer appear.

  5. Hover over any one of the following:
    • Forward: Use this option to view forward lineage.
    • Reverse: Use this option to view reverse lineage.
    • Dual - Combined View: Use this option to view forward and reverse lineage of the column combined together.
    • Dual - Split View: Use this option to view combined forward and reverse lineage.

    6. For example, when you hover over the Reverse, All Projects and By Project appear as options.

  6. Use the following options:
    All Projects
    Use this option to include all the projects in lineage analysis.
    By Project
    Use this option to select projects for lineage analysis.
    By default, all the projects are selected. Clear the check boxes for the projects that are not required. Then, click .

The column's lineage is generated based on the options you selected.

Working on Lineage

Lineage of a column shows how metadata moves through columns. It provides a summary of columns used as source and target. Also, it gives information about technical and business properties of columns involved in the lineage.

For example, the following image displays a column's lineage.

Use the following options:

Logical Name

Use this option to view logical names of the columns in the lineage.

For example, in the following lineage the column names are replaced with their logical names.

Expanded Logical Name

Use this option to view expanded logical names of the columns in the lineage.

For example, in the following lineage the column names are replaced with their expanded logical names.

Sensitivity Indiacator

Use this option to view sensitivity of columns in the lineage.

For example, the following lineage displays the sensitivity of the columns.

Overview Lineage

Use this option to switch between detailed and overview lineage view.

Detailed lineage view: This view is helpful to technical users like ETL developers. When you reverse engineer ETL jobs or SQL scripts, the lineage might contain temporary tables, ETL components (filters, joiners, routers etc.). This view includes tables and columns that do not exist in the Metadata Manager.

For example, the following lineage displays the CustDetails table that does not exist in the Metadata Manager.

Overview lineage view: This view is helpful to business users. It excludes tables and columns that do not exist in the Metadata Manager.

For example, the following lineage does not display CustDetails table that does not exist in the Metadata Manager.

Collapse/Expand ()

Use this option to switch between collapsed and expanded view. The expanded view includes columns involved in the lineage and the collapsed view excludes columns in the lineage.

For example, in the following lineage the collapsed view does not display columns involved in the lineage.

Auto Expand/Autofit ()

This switch is enabled when you use the expanded view (). Use this option to switch between the Auto Expand view and Auto Fit view. The Auto Expand view shrinks the space for the list of columns and the Autofit view expands the space to fit the list of columns.

For example, the following lineage displays the Auto Expand view.

Export to Image ()

Use this option to download the lineage in the JPG format.

Export to PDF ()

Use this option to download the lineage in the PDF format.

Export to Excel

Use this option to download the lineage in the XLSX format.

Highlighting Lineage Path of a Column

To highlight a column's lineage path, click the column. The column is highlighted in orange color, its forward lineage path appears in red, and its reverse lineage path appears in blue.

Tables that are not part of a lineage path disappear.

For example, in the following lineage, the Account table disappears in the lineage path with respect to the SRSLCN column.

Summary

This pane displays a summary of the lineage report. It gives information about number of columns acting as source, target, or both in the lineage.

Technical

By default, this pane displays technical properties of the column for which, you ran lineage analysis. You can click a column in the lineage and view its technical properties. The technical properties of a column include Column Data Type, Column Precision, Column Length, and so on. For more information on updating column properties, refer to the Updating Column Properties topic.

Business

By default, this pane displays business properties of the column for which, you ran the lineage analysis. You can click a column in the lineage and view its business properties. The business properties of a column include Column Definition, Logical Column Name, Column Class, and so on. For more information on updating column properties, refer to the Updating Column Properties topic.

Transformations

To view transformations between two columns, click the link between the columns. The Transformations pane expands and displays the transformations.

You can expand the transformation node to view the transformation details that includes Business Rule, Extended Business Rule, Trans lookup Condition, and Lookup On.

Valid Values

To view valid values for a column, Click a column in the lineage, expand the Valid Values pane, and click the Click Here hyperlink. For more information on assigning valid values using codesets, refer to the Assigning Codesets to Columns topic.

Extended Properties

By default, this pane displays the extended properties of the column for which, you ran the lineage analysis. You can click a column in the lineage to view its extended properties in this pane. For more information on configuring extended properties of columns, refer to the Column topic.