Deep-Dive Articles

Tags - A Deep Dive

Understanding Tags

Tags are a feature that allow for the logical grouping of data objects and other OvalEdge assets. The grouping of conceptually similar data and governance assets facilitates efficient data management, and enables the discovery of related data objects. Tags can be assigned to data objects such as Databases, Tables, Table Columns, Files, File Columns, Reports, Report Columns, Business Terms, Data Stories, Queries, and Data Quality Rules. 

Tag labels can include Member Data, Manufacturing Data, and Accounting Data. For instance, consider assigning the tag "Finance" to different data objects, such as tables, files, or reports. This tag serves as a convenient label to identify and view all tables, files, or reports that are related to the Finance Department. Once data objects are assigned a tag, tag associations can be filtered and users can perform various actions on the displayed data objects, such as adding them to a watchlist or a project for collaborative work. 

Exploring Tags

Users can navigate to the Tags module from the left panel, providing a structured environment for filtering and viewing tags. If a tag has already been created, users can quickly search by tag name in the global search bar at the top of the page

Once in the Tag module, the system further enhances user experience by offering three distinct views: Tile view, Tree view, and List view. Each view has its unique advantages in presenting and managing tags, catering to diverse user preferences and requirements.

Note: DAGs created in the application are stored on the Tags page.

Tile View

Accessing the tags module, users are presented with the Tiles view, which offers a visually intuitive representation of tags. Each tag is displayed in a separate tile, showcasing the hierarchical relationship between parent, child, and subordinate tags. This view allows users to enhance efficiency by dragging and dropping frequently used tags to the top, eliminating the need for continuous scrolling. Additionally, a search bar facilitates the quick retrieval of specific tags, while a "+" icon enables users to add new tags seamlessly.

Tree View

The Tree View, as the name suggests, arranges all the created Tags hierarchically, indicating their Parent-Child-subordinate relationships for easy comprehension.

In this view, users configured with the Tag Admin Role can seamlessly create new tags, aided by a search filter in the left panel for locating specific tags. The list can be sorted alphabetically, and the Collapse/Expand feature enables users to display only Parent Tags or expand to view Parent-Child Tags.

The Tags presented in this view are interactive, providing users with insights by clicking on a tag. A right panel displays concise information about the selected tag, along with its associations with various data objects (Databases, Tables, Files, Reports, Codes)  in the application, presented in a grid format. For users seeking more detailed information about a particular tag, they can click on the "View Details" button, which directs them to the Tag Details Page.

List View

The List View presents the information of all the current Tags in a grid format. Clicking on a Tag name will direct you to the detailed page dedicated to that specific Tag. Below is the information that will be displayed in the List View:

Fields

Description

'+' (Add Tag) Icon

Click to add a new tag.

Nine Dots Icon

Use to delete tags or raise a service request for Tag creation.

Name

Displays the name of the tag.

Parent Tag

Shows the name of the parent tag.

Child Tags Count

Indicates the number of child tags under a parent tag.

Tag Type

Displays whether the tag is Non-Assignable, Data Asset Group, or regular Tag.

Created By

Shows the username of the creator of the tag.

Created On

Displays the date and time when the tag was created.


Tags Hierarchy 

Tags can be created and structured in a hierarchy, typically organized into Parent-Child-subordinate tags, aligning with the specific needs and structures defined by the organization. Parent Tags act as the main or top-level categories, under which various Child Tags are grouped. Each Child Tag may further have its own set of sub-tags, creating a tree-like structure that helps in categorizing and organizing information in a clear and systematic manner. 

This ensures a more orderly and efficient management of data. For instance, you can have a Parent Tag like 'Banking' and create Child Tags under it, such as 'Loans' and 'Mutual Funds'. These Child Tags can, in turn, have their subordinate child tags.

Creation of Tags

New tags can be generated either by the OE_Admin or by users with the tag role assigned in the system settings. To create a new tag, users can utilize the + icon located in the top right corner of the Tile View, Tree View, and List View screens.

To create a new tag, click on the (+) icon. In the popup window, provide the new tag name and a brief description. This new tag will be saved as a Parent tag. It's crucial to ensure the uniqueness of Parent Tags, as the system prohibits the creation of multiple Parent tags sharing the same name.

Note: Tag names are case-sensitive, so attention to casing is necessary during the creation process.

Creation of Child Tags

Child Tags act as smaller buckets or sub-tags within a  Parent Tags. These tags are created within a specific Parent Tag and form a subset of the broader tag category. 

  • In the "Tags" module, choose a Parent Tag from either the Tree view or List view. 
  • On the selected tag's summary page, navigate to the "Child Tags" section.
  • Hover over and click the edit icon to open the "Edit Tag" pop-up, showcasing existing Tags in the left panel. Use the "+" icon to add the selected tag to the Assigned Tags section on the right. 
  • Additionally, there's a New Tag link allowing users to create a child tag by providing a name and description, with the new tag being created under the parent tag.

Managing Tag Summary Page

The Tags Detailed page presents comprehensive information about a tag, including the Tag's Name, Description, Child Tags, and associations with various data objects in the application.

User roles specified in Administration > Configuration > Users & Roles > Key - Tags > selected Roles are granted the capability to create, edit, and update tags. These roles determine the level of access and control users have over tag management functionalities.

Tag Title

The Tag Title serves as the primary identifier for a tag and plays a crucial role in providing a quick and concise representation of the tag's content. This field is editable, allowing users to change the name of the Tag to a new one of their choice, as long as they have the appropriate assigned permissions.

Tag Picture

The Tag Picture serves as a visual representation of a tag.  Users can upload a picture to visually represent the Tag. 

Tag Description

The Tag Description serves as a detailed and informative section accompanying a tag, providing users with additional insights. Allows users to edit the detailed description of the tag, including multimedia elements, images, links, videos, or tables, apply basic formatting to the text, and also add object references using @ annotation. 

The History button provides a convenient way to access and review a log of all modifications made to the Detailed Description, offering an easy option for downloading this change history.

Child Tags

Child Tags display all tags created under a parent tag, including any subordinate tags created under those child tags. Users can view and modify associated child tags. Hovering over the field reveals an edit icon, allowing users to add or edit child tags.

Associations

The associations of the Tag with different data objects in the application are clearly presented under their respective object type tabs. These object types include Databases, Tables, Table Columns, Files, File Columns, Reports, Report Columns, Business Glossary items, Data Stories, Queries, and Data Quality Rules. Each type of data asset displays its specific associations with the Tag, providing a comprehensive overview of how the Tag is linked to various elements within the application.

The "9 Dots" option under Associations provides users with a convenient way to add one or multiple objects to the access cart to raise service requests.

Download Associations: Users have the option to download objects associated with a tag by clicking on the download icon. This functionality enables users to export the associated objects to a CSV file. This downloaded file can then be utilized for collaboration with other teams, providing a seamless way to share information and enhance teamwork.

Custom Fields

Custom Fields allow users to add additional information about the tag beyond the standard fields. This additional context makes data analysis more meaningful and helps uncover insights that might not be apparent from the standard fields.

Non-Assignable Tag

A "Non-Assignable Tag" serves the purpose of deactivating a Tag, preventing it from being associated with data objects. When a Tag is set to Non-Assignable mode, all the previously established associations with data assets are removed. 

Upon toggling this mode, a confirmation message appears, and users can confirm the action by clicking the "Yes" button. This feature ensures that the Tag is no longer linked to any data objects, allowing for clear separation and management within the system.

Configure Search Keywords

Configuring Search Keywords allows the association of relevant search terms with tags, enabling end-users to efficiently find the data they are seeking. To set up these keywords, users need to identify the tag names likely to be used in searches.

It is important to note that Search Keywords with a minimum score of 3 are considered for Global Search. If an admin user configures the keyword, it is recorded with a score of 3. If a non-admin user adds the keyword, the score is 1. Admin users can vote on keywords, adding three points to the score, whereas non-admin users' votes contribute an additional 1 point to the score. This scoring system helps prioritize the most relevant search terms for effective searching.

Delete Tags

When a Parent Tag is deleted, associations with data objects are removed. However, the child Tag created under the Parent Tag assumes the role of a new Parent Tag. For instance:

Security on Tags

Who can Create Tags?

Security settings for tags are determined by the roles configured in the system. In the Administration section, specifically under Configurations > Users & Roles, the role(s) designated for tag management can be set using the key ovaledge.tag.role. 

For instance, if the role OE_TagAdmin is selected, all users assigned to this role will have the permissions to create, edit, and delete tags. This configuration ensures that only authorized users with the specified roles can perform these actions, maintaining security and control over the tagging system.

Who can associate data objects?

Users

Actions

Meta Read users

Only view the data objects associated with existing tags. The User cannot add tags to new objects.

Meta Write users

Can associate data objects to existing tags.

Tags Permissions

Actions

Tag Role

Other Users

Create New Tag

Yes

No

Edit Tag Details

Yes 

No

Associate Tag to the data object(s)

Yes

Yes

Delete Tag

Yes

No

Change Management in Tags

Data Asset Group (DAG) & Policy Enforcement

DAG Tags are tags that are designed to apply a predefined set of configured Governance Role users to the associated data objects. Users can create DAGs in the Data Asset Group section of the Security module where they can assign a set of Governance Roles to it. When this DAG is then applied to a data object, the Governance Roles assigned to the data objects are replaced with the ones associated with the DAG.

General Tags are used for grouping and organizing objects, while DAG Tags are used for applying governance roles and access control configurations to data assets, ensuring compliance with organizational policies and security standards.

Tag Changes through LMDF

OvalEdge provides users with the capability to perform bulk modifications to tags through the "Load Metadata from Files" feature. This functionality allows users to update tag details in bulk. The table below illustrates all the tag-related fields included in the template, enabling users to efficiently manage and modify tags at scale.

Tags

Mandatory

Details

Tag Id

No

It displays the Tag ID.

Tag Name*

Yes

Enter the Tag Name. It displays the Tag Name.

Business Description

No

Enter the Business Description. 

Tag Type*

Yes

Specify whether it is a Parent tag or a Child tag.

tcf 

No

tcf refers to a  Text Custom Field defined in the Administration > Custom Fields > tcf tab. Users can enter the additional details of the object up to 50 tcf.

ncf

No

ncf refers to a  Number Custom Field defined in the Administration > Custom Fields > ncf tab. Users can enter the additional details of the object up to 15 ncf. 

ccf

No

ccf refers to a  Code Custom Field defined in the Administration > Custom Fields > ccf tab. Users can enter the additional details of the object up to 15 ccf.

dcf 

No

dcf refers to a  Date Custom Field defined in the Administration > Custom Fields > dcf tab. Users can enter the additional details of the object up to 15 dcf.

Action 

No

It displays 4 options in the drop-down list Add/Modify/Delete/No Action.

Add - To add new terms and relevant fields for the existing Domain.

Modify - To update the term name and relevant fields for the existing Domain.

Delete - To delete the Term.

No Action - To keep the data as is without any changes.

Action Status

No

It displays Success/Failure as a response to the Action column.

Action Message

No

It displays a clear message for the cause of the Success/Failure response.


Tag Relationship Hierarchy

Mandatory

Details

Parent Tag Id

No

Enter the Parent Tag ID.

Parent Tag Name

No

Enter the Parent Tag Name.

Child Tag Id

No

Enter the Child Tag ID.

Child Tag Name

No

Enter the Child Tag Name.

Action 

No

It displays 4 options in the drop-down list Add/Modify/Delete/No Action.

Add - To add new terms and relevant fields for the existing Domain.

Modify - To update the term name and relevant fields for the existing Domain.

Delete - To delete the Term.

No Action - To keep the data as is without any changes.

Action Status

No

It displays Success/Failure as a response to the Action column.

Action Message

No

It displays a clear message for the cause of the Success/Failure response.

Tag Changes through OvalEdge APIs

The OvalEdge API for Tags offers several functionalities to interact with tags in the system. Here are the available API operations:

  • Get Tag: Retrieve information about a specific tag.
  • Add Tag: Create a new tag in the system.
  • Add Tag to Object: Associate a tag with a specific object in the database.
  • Get Tags By Object: Retrieve all tags associated with a particular object.
  • Update Tag: Modify the details of an existing tag.
  • Get Tags by ParentID: Retrieve tags based on their ParentID, providing a way to filter tags within a specific hierarchy.

These API operations empower developers to manage tags efficiently, allowing for actions such as creating, updating, and retrieving tag-related information, as well as associating tags with specific data objects.

System Settings for Tags

Key

Value

Description.

Ovaledge.tag.role (User & Roles)

OE_ADMIN

Configure a role to create/manage/delete Tags.

Parameters:

The default value is OE_ADMIN.

Click on the field to select any role from the drop-down. You can select multiple Roles.

Display.tree.tagtile (Others)

TRUE

Show/hide the tree structure inside a tile on Tags>Tiles page.

Parameters:

The default value is True.

If set to True, the Tags hierarchy is shown for all the Tags on the Tiles page.

If set to False, the Tags hierarchy is disabled.

Tags.pagination.row.size (Others)

60

Set the number of tags to be displayed in the Tags List View.

Parameters:

The default value is set to 60.

Enter the value in the field provided.

Tags.children.pagination.row.size (Others)

100

Set the number of child tags to be displayed in the Tags detailed page.

Parameters:

The default value is set to 100.

Enter the value in the field provided.

Tag.multiple.parent.hierarchy (Others)

TRUE

This configuration setting provides users with the flexibility to create tags with the same name under different root tags.

Parameters:

If set to true: Users can create tags with the same names under different root tags.

If set to false: It mandates unique tag names, disallowing the use of identical tags or duplicates.