DBT

This article outlines the integration with the DBT (Data Build Tool) connector, enabling streamlined metadata management through features such as crawling and lineage building (both automatic and manual). It also ensures secure authentication via Credential Manager.

Overview

Connector Details

Connector Category	ETL Tool
Connector Version	Release7.2.3
Releases Supported (Available from)	Release6.1
Connectivity [How the connection is established with DBT]	REST APIs
Verified DBT Version	1.7.6

The DBT connector has been validated with the mentioned "Verified DBT Versions" and is expected to be compatible with other supported DBT versions. If there are any issues with validation or metadata crawling, please submit a support ticket for investigation and feedback.

Connector Features

Feature	Availability
Crawling	✅
Delta Crawling	❌
Data Preview	❌
Auto Lineage	✅
Manual Lineage	✅
Secure Authentication via Credential Manager	✅
Data Quality	❌
DAM (Data Access Management)	❌
Bridge	✅

Metadata Mapping

The following objects are crawled from DBT and mapped to the corresponding UI assets.

DBT Object	DBT Attribute	OvalEdge Attribute	OvaEdge Category	OvalEdge Type
Manifest.json	Manifest.json	Code Name	Codes	DBT_JOB
SQL's inside Manifest file	Raw_code	Code Name	Codes	DBT_RUN_SQL

Set up a Connection

Prerequisites

The following are the prerequisites to establish a connection:

Service Account User Permissions

It is recommended to use a separate service Token to establish the connection to the data source, configured with the following minimum set of permissions.

👨‍💻 Who can provide these permissions? These permissions are typically granted by the DBT administrator, as users may not have the required access to assign them independently.

Operations	Objects	Access Permission
Crawling	Projects	Read-only
Crawling & Lineage Building	Manifest.json	Read-only

Connection Configuration Steps

Users are required to have the Connector Creator role in order to configure a new connection.

1. Log into OvalEdge, go to Administration > Connectors, click + (New Connector), search for DBT, and complete the required parameters.

Fields marked with an asterisk (*) are mandatory for establishing a connection.

Field Name	Description
Connector Type	By default, "DBT" is displayed as the selected connector type.
Credential Manager*	Select the desired credentials manager from the drop-down list. Relevant parameters will be displayed based on the selection. Supported Credential Managers: OE Credential Manager AWS Secrets Manager HashiCorp Azure Key Vault
License Add Ons	Auto Lineage Supported Data Quality Not Supported Data Access Not Supported Select the checkbox for Auto Lineage Add-On to build data lineage automatically.
Connector Name*	Enter a unique name for the DBT connection (Example: "DBT").
Connector Environment	Select the environment (Example: PROD, STG) configured for the connector.
Connector Description	Enter a brief description of the connector.
Server*	Enter the DBT server name or IP address.
Account ID*	Enter the Account ID associated with the DBT workspace to establish the connection.
Service account token*	Enter the service account token generated for the DBT workspace.
Excluded Jobs	Enter comma-separated job names that must be excluded from crawling.
Proxy Enabled*	Select Yes to route the connection through a configured proxy, or No to connect directly without a proxy.
Plugin Server	Enter the server’s name when running as a plugin server.
Plugin Port	Enter the port number on which the plugin is running.

Default Governance Roles

Default Governance Roles*	Select the appropriate users or teams for each governance role from the drop-down list. All users configured in the security settings are available for selection.

Admin Roles

Admin Roles*	Select one or more users from the drop-down list for Integration Admin and Security & Governance Admin. All users configured in the security settings are available for selection.

No of Archive Objects

No Of Archive Objects*	This shows the number of recent metadata changes to a dataset at the source. By default, it is off. To enable it, toggle the Archive button and specify the number of objects to archive. Example: Setting it to 4 retrieves the last four changes, displayed in the 'Version' column of the 'Metadata Changes' module.

Bridge

Select Bridge*	If applicable, select the bridge from the drop-down list. The drop-down list displays all active bridges that have been configured. These bridges facilitate communication between data sources and the system without requiring changes to firewall rules.

1. After entering all connection details, the following actions can be performed:

   1. Click Validate to verify the connection.

   2. Click Save to store the connection for future use.

   3. Click Save & Configure to apply additional settings before saving.

2. The saved connection will appear on the Connectors home page.

Manage Connector Operations

Crawl

To perform crawl operations, users must be assigned the Integration Admin role.

The Crawl/Profile button allows users to select one or more schemas for crawling.

1. Navigate to the Connectors page and click Crawl/Profile.

2. Select the schemas to crawl.

3. The Crawl option is selected by default.

4. Click Run to collect metadata from the connected source and load it into the Data Catalog.

5. After a successful crawl, the information appears in the Data Catalog > Databases/<>Codes tab.

The Schedule checkbox allows automated crawling at defined intervals, from a minute to a year.

1. Click the Schedule checkbox to enable the Select Period drop-down.

2. Select a time period for the operation from the drop-down menu.

3. Click Schedule to initiate metadata collection from the connected source.

4. The system will automatically execute the crawl operation at the scheduled time.

Other Operations

The Connectors page provides a centralized view of all configured connectors, along with the health status.

Managing connectors includes:

• Connector Health: Displays the current status of each connector using a green icon for active connections and a red icon for inactive connections, helping to monitor the connectivity with data sources.

• Viewing: Click the Eye icon next to the connector name to view connector details, including databases, tables, columns, and codes.

Nine Dots Menu Options:

To view, edit, validate, build lineage, configure, or delete connectors, click on the Nine Dots menu.

• Edit Connector: Update and revalidate the data source.

• Validate Connector: Check the connection's integrity.

• Settings: Modify connector settings.

  • Lineage: Select server dialects for parsing and setting connector priority for table lineage.

• Build Lineage: Automatically build data lineage using source code parsing.

• Delete Connector: Remove a connector with confirmation.

Connectivity Troubleshooting

If incorrect parameters are entered, error messages may appear. Ensure all inputs are accurate to resolve these issues. If issues persist, contact the assigned support team.

S.No.	Error Message(s)	Error Description & Resolution
1	Insufficient Read Permission	Description: Read access to the requested resource is restricted. Resolution: Assign or update read permissions for the user or token. Confirm role or policy mappings include the required access.
2	Unauthorized Access (401)	Description: The authentication token or credentials are invalid or expired. Resolution: Validate the token or credentials used for the request. Regenerate the token if expired. Ensure the correct authentication method is configured.

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