Your data catalog should capture key information about your data assets; things like column descriptions, data types, update frequencies, and usage statistics. The best tools will automatically scan your Snowflake environment to detect changes and maintain historical records.
Data discovery
A good data catalog makes finding the right data simple and quick. You should be able to search across all data assets using plain language, similar to using a search engine. The data catalog should offer smart filtering options, like searching by data type, owner, or department. In addition, look for features that help organize data meaningfully, like custom tags, business glossaries, and the ability to create data collections.
Data lineage
How data moves and changes has a huge impact on maintaining trust and quality. A good data catalog creates clear visual maps to show where data originates, how it transforms, and where it ends up being used. This helps teams track down data quality issues and assess the impact of potential changes.
Security and compliance
Your data catalog must have strong security features to protect sensitive information. That’s why look for tools that integrate with your existing security systems and offer fine-grained access controls.
You should be able to set different permission levels for different users and teams. The tool should also maintain detailed audit logs of who accessed what data and when. Features like automatic data masking for sensitive fields and compliance reporting will help you maintain security standards.
Collaboration and knowledge sharing
A data catalog should make it easy for teams cambodia whatsapp number data to work together with data. Users should be able to add descriptions and usage examples to data assets. The tool should allow teams to share datasets and insights safely while respecting access permissions.
Scalability and flexibility
As your organization grows, your data catalog should grow with you. It should handle increasing data volumes without slowing down or becoming unstable. The catalog should be flexible enough to adapt to new types of data and changing business needs.
Consider whether the tool can scale across multiple departments or regions while performing well. The best tools offer ways to automate more processes as your data environment becomes more complex.
Snowflake's native data catalog vs. third-party solutions
Snowflake's native data catalog provides built-in data management and governance features. On the contrary, third-party solutions may offer additional functionalities and flexibility but often require more complex integration. So, you should weigh the benefits of native capabilities against the specialized features of external tools to determine what best meets your data needs.
Overview of Snowflake's native data catalog
Snowflake's native data catalog includes features like Object Tagging and Data Classification, which help users categorize and label data based on specific criteria. Recently, Snowflake also introduced the Polaris Catalog, which works specifically with Apache Iceberg tables. Polaris is open-source and works well with different data tools, not just Snowflake's own products.