Erwin Data Modeler

This article outlines the integration of the Erwin Data Modeler connector, enabling streamlined metadata management through features such as crawling. It also ensures secure authentication via Credential Manager.

Overview

Connector Details

Connector Category	Other
Connector Version	Release7.2
Releases Supported (Available from)	Release6.0
Connectivity [How the connection is established with Erwin Data Modeler]	File System

Connector Features

Feature	Availability
Crawling	✅
Delta Crawling	❌
Profiling	❌
Query Sheet	❌
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 Erwin Data Modeler and mapped to the corresponding UI assets.

Erwin Object	Erwin Attribute	OvalEdge Attribute	OvalEdge Category	OvalEdge Type
Schema	CSV File Name	Schema	Databases	Schema
Schema	CSV File Path	Schema ID	Databases	Schema
Table	Table Name	Table	Tables	Table
Columns	Table Type	Type	Tables	Table
Columns	Table Comments	Source Description	Descriptions	Source Description
Columns	Table ID (CSV Column 0)	Table ID	Tables	Table
Columns	Column Name (CSV Column 6)	Column	Table Columns	-
Columns	Data Type (CSV Column 7)	Column Type	Table Columns	-
-	Description (CSV Column 8)	Source Description	Table Columns	-
-	Ordinal Position (CSV Column 5)	Column Position	Table Columns	-
-	Length	Data Type Size	Table Columns	-

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 account to establish the connection to the data source, configured with the following minimum set of permissions.

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

Operation	Objects	Sys Tables	Access Permissions
Crawling	Schemas	CSV Files (File System)	Read access to the folder
Crawling	Tables	CSV File Content (DWXT type rows)	Read access to the CSV file
Crawling	Columns	CSV File Content (DWXC type rows)	Read access to the CSV file

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 Erwin Data Modeler, and complete the required parameters.

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

Field Name	Description
Connector Type	By default, "Erwin CSV Import" 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 your selection. Supported Credential Managers: Database HashiCorp Vault AWS Secrets Manager Azure Key Vault
Connector Name*	Enter a unique name for the Erwin Data Modeler connection.
Connector Environment	Select the environment (Example: PROD, STG) configured for the connector.
Connector Description	Enter a brief description of the connector.
Erwin CSV Files Folder Path*	Enter the path where the Erwin-generated CSV files are stored. This path is required for the system to locate and process the files.
Plugin Server	Enter the server 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 dropdown 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 tab.

The Schedule checkbox allows automated crawling and profiling 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 interval 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 their 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 files.

Nine Dots Menu Options:

You can view, edit, validate, modify connector settings, and delete connectors using the Nine Dots menu.

• Edit Connector: Update and revalidate the data source.

• Validate Connector: Check the connection's integrity.

• Settings: Modify connector settings.

  • Crawler: Configure data extraction.

  • Access Instructions: Add notes on how data can be accessed.

  • Business Glossary Settings: Manage term associations at the connector level.

  • Others: Configure notification recipients for metadata changes.

• Delete Connector: Remove a connector with confirmation.

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