INTERFACES FOR PROVIDING ENHANCED CONNECTION DATA FOR SHARED RESOURCES
Embodiments described herein are directed to generating and displaying a user interface that allows data managers to provide supplemental metadata for data sources. In one scenario, a computer system generates a UI that shows an indication of data elements to which a metadata catalog is linked. The metadata catalog includes references to different data sources that store data elements. The UI receives an input indicating that metadata for at least one of the data sources is to be modified. The modification includes providing additional metadata for a specified data source, providing documentation for a specified data source and/or providing an entry point for an access request workflow. The computer system performs the received data source metadata modification according to the received input and, upon determining that the metadata has been modified, displays the updated metadata for the data sources in the UI.
1 . A computer system comprising the following:
one or more processors;
one or more computer-readable storage media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing system to perform a method for generating and displaying a user interface that allows data managers to provide supplemental metadata for data sources, the method comprising the following:
an act of generating a user interface (UI) that shows an indication of one or more data elements to which a metadata catalog is linked, the metadata catalog including references to one or more different data sources that store data elements;
an act of receiving at the UI an input indicating that metadata for at least one of the data sources is to be modified, the modification including at least one of the following: providing additional metadata for a specified data source, providing documentation for a specified data source and providing an entry point for an access request workflow;
an act of performing the received data source metadata modification according to the received input; and
upon determining that the metadata has been modified, an act of displaying the updated metadata for the data sources in the UI.
2 . The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the UI further allows users to modify data elements stored on one or more of the data sources.
3 . The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the UI further allows users to provide feedback regarding the metadata, the feedback being reviewable by one or more data managers.
4 . The computer system of claim 3 , wherein the user feedback regarding the metadata is reviewed and approved for implementation by a quorum of data managers.
5 . The computer system of claim 3 , wherein the computer system learns from the user feedback and automatically approves one or more subsequently received user-provided metadata annotations.
6 . The computer system of claim 1 , wherein each user is assigned its own metadata repository, and wherein usage of the user's metadata repository is monitored.
7 . The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more data sources comprise at least one of a local data source, a remote data source and a distributed data source.
8 . The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the updated metadata for the data sources indicates how the users are to access the data sources, the indicating including providing one or more steps that are to be taken in order to access one or more portions of currently inaccessible data.
9 . The computer system of claim 8 , wherein the steps to be taken are displayed in at least one of the following manners: 1) along with received data query results, and 2) upon the occurrence of a specified event.
10 . The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the input indicates that metadata for a view is to be modified, the modification including at least one of the following: providing additional metadata for a specified view, providing documentation for a specified view and providing an entry point for an access request workflow, and wherein the received view metadata modification is performed according to the received input.
11 . The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the input indicates that metadata for a query is to be modified, the modification including at least one of the following: providing additional metadata for a specified query, providing documentation for a specified query and providing an entry point for an access request workflow, and wherein the received query metadata modification is performed according to the received input.
12 . At a computer system including at least one processor, a computer-implemented method for generating and displaying a user interface that allows data managers to provide supplemental metadata for data sources, the method comprising:
an act of generating a user interface (UI) that shows an indication of one or more data elements to which a metadata catalog is linked, the metadata catalog including references to one or more different data sources that store data elements;
an act of receiving at the UI an input indicating that metadata for at least one of the data sources is to be modified, the modification including at least one of the following: providing additional metadata for a specified data source, providing documentation for a specified data source and providing an entry point for an access request workflow;
an act of performing the received data source metadata modification according to the received input; and
upon determining that the metadata has been modified, an act of displaying the updated metadata for the data sources in the UI.
13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the UI further allows users to modify data elements stored on one or more of the data sources.
14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the UI further allows users to provide feedback regarding the metadata, the feedback being reviewable by one or more data managers.
15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the computer system learns from the user feedback and automatically approves one or more subsequently received user-provided metadata annotations.
16 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the updated metadata for the data sources indicates how the users are to access the data sources, the indicating including providing one or more steps that are to be taken in order to access one or more portions of currently inaccessible data.
17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the steps to be taken are displayed in at least one of the following manners: 1) along with received data query results, and 2) upon the occurrence of a specified event.
18 . A computer program product for implementing a method for generating and displaying a user interface that allows data managers to provide supplemental metadata for data sources, the computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable storage media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of the computing system, cause the computing system to perform the method, the method comprising:
an act of generating a user interface (UI) that shows an indication of one or more data elements to which a metadata catalog is linked, the metadata catalog including references to one or more different data sources that store data elements;
an act of receiving at the UI an input indicating that metadata for at least one of the data sources is to be modified, the modification including at least one of the following: providing additional metadata for a specified data source, providing documentation for a specified data source and providing an entry point for an access request workflow;
an act of performing the received data source metadata modification according to the received input; and
upon determining that the metadata has been modified, an act of displaying the updated metadata for the data sources in the UI.
19 . The computer program product of claim 18 , wherein the UI further allows users to provide feedback regarding the metadata, the feedback being reviewable by one or more data managers, and wherein the computer system learns from the user feedback and automatically approves one or more subsequently received user-provided metadata annotations.
20 . The computer program product of claim 18 , wherein the updated metadata for the data sources indicates how the users are to access the data sources, the indicating including providing one or more steps that are to be taken in order to access one or more portions of currently inaccessible data, and wherein the steps to be taken are displayed in at least one of the following manners: 1) along with received data query results, and 2) upon the occurrence of a specified event.