Managing Data Assets with Metastore in Unity Catalogue: Functions, Roles, and Units
Unity Catalogue is a powerful tool for managing data and metadata in Databricks. At the core of Unity Catalogue lies the Metastore, which is responsible for storing metadata about the data assets managed by the Unity Catalogue.
In the previous article, we talked about Managing Data in Unity Catalogue: The Three-Level Namespace. In this article, we will explore what Metastore is, its functions and roles, and the units that come under it.
What is Metastore?
Metastore is a repository that stores metadata about the data assets in Unity Catalogue. It provides a centralized location for storing and managing metadata, making it easier to manage and use data assets. Metastore is used to store metadata for various types of data assets, such as databases, tables, columns, views, and more.
Functions and Roles of Metastore
Metastore has several important functions and roles that make it a crucial component of the Unity Catalogue. Some of its key functions and roles are:
1. Metadata Storage
The primary function of Metastore is to store metadata about the data assets in Unity Catalogue. It stores metadata such as database schemas, table definitions, column details, and more. This metadata is used by various components of Unity Catalogue, such as the Data Catalog, Spark SQL, and the Data Science Workspace.
2. Metadata Management
Metastore also provides tools for managing metadata stored in it. It allows users to create and manage databases, tables, views, columns, and other metadata objects. Users can also modify and delete metadata objects using the Metastore APIs.
3. Metadata Discovery
Metastore provides a unified view of the metadata stored in Unity Catalogue. It allows users to search for metadata objects based on various criteria such as database names, table names, column names, and more. This makes it easier for users to discover data assets and use them in their workflows.
4. Metadata Security
Metastore provides security features that allow users to control access to metadata objects. Users can specify access control policies for metadata objects such as databases, tables, and views. This ensures that only authorized users can access the metadata and the data assets they describe.
Units in Metastore
Metastore is comprised of several units that work together to store and manage metadata about data assets in Unity Catalogue. These units include:
1. Storage Credential
Storage Credential is used to store and manage credentials for accessing external storage systems such as Amazon S3, Azure Blob Storage, and more. These credentials are used by Unity Catalogue to access data assets stored in these external systems.
2. External Location
External Location is used to store and manage metadata about data assets that are stored outside of Unity Catalogue, such as in external storage systems like Amazon S3 or Azure Blob Storage. External Location allows users to create virtual tables that reference data assets stored in these external systems.
3. Catalog
Catalog is used to store and manage metadata about data assets that are stored within Unity Catalogue. Catalog allows users to create and manage databases, tables, views, and more.
4. Share
Share is used to share metadata objects between different users and groups in Unity Catalogue. It allows users to grant permissions to other users and groups to access metadata objects they own.
5. Receipt
Receipt is used to track changes to metadata objects in Unity Catalogue. It provides a history of changes made to metadata objects, including who made the changes and when they were made.
Conclusion
In summary, Metastore is a crucial component of the Unity Catalogue that provides a unified view of metadata about data assets. It offers several important functions and roles, and the units that come under it work together to provide a comprehensive solution for managing metadata in Unity Catalogue. By using Metastore, users can improve their productivity, efficiency, and collaboration when working with data assets in Databricks.
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