Data catalog
OpenMetadata
An open data catalog: metadata, lineage, quality, and search.
What is it
OpenMetadata is an open platform for data cataloging and metadata management. It brings together in one place information about all your tables, data marts, dashboards, and pipelines: where everything lives, who owns it, how a metric is calculated, and where the data came from (lineage). It adds data search, a business glossary, and quality checks.
Where and why it is used
I roll out OpenMetadata to bring order to the warehouse: a single catalog of data marts and sources, traceability of data from source to dashboard, a business glossary, and quality control. It is especially valuable in mature DWHs and in master-data management, when the number of systems and tables keeps growing.
Used in my services
Alternatives
DataHubAmundsenApache AtlasCollibraAlation
Pros and cons
Pros
- A single data catalog and business glossary
- Automatic lineage from source to dashboard
- Open source with many connectors
- Data quality control and ownership tracking
Cons
- – Requires deployment and regular curation
- – Its value only grows when kept up to date
- – Overkill for small warehouses
- – Needs an owner for the catalog (data governance)
