Firebird

This article outlines the integration with Firebird connector, enabling streamlined metadata management through features such as crawling, querying, and data preview. It also ensures secure authentication via Credential Manager.

Overview

Connector Details

Connector Category	RDBMS
OvalEdge Releases Supported	Release8.1
Connectivity [How the connection is established with Firebird]	JDBC (Firebird over TCP)
Verified Firebird Version	Firebird version 5.0.0

The Firebird connector has been validated with the mentioned "Verified Firebird Versions" and is expected to be compatible with other supported Firebird 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	❌
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 Firebird and mapped to the corresponding UI assets.

Firebird Object	Firebird Attribute	OvalEdge Attribute	OvalEdge Category	OvalEdge Type
Database	Database container	Container identifier	Container	Container
Table	Table name	Table name	Tables	Entity
Views	View Name	View name	View	Entity
Stored Procedures	Procedure name	Procedure name	Procedure	Procedure
Functions	Function name	Function name	Function	Function
Sequences	Sequence name	Sequence name	Sequence	Sequence
Indexes	Index name	Index identifier	Index	Index
Triggers	Trigger name	Trigger identifier	Trigger	Trigger
Columns	Name, data type	Column details	Column	Column

Set up a Connection

Prerequisites

Whitelisting Ports

Ensure the inbound port “3050” is whitelisted for OvalEdge to connect to the Firebird database.

The default port number for Firebird is 3050. If a different port is used, ensure that the updated port number is specified during connection setup, the port is whitelisted, and communication between the system and Firebird is properly established.

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 typically granted by the Firebird administrator, as users may not have the required access to assign them independently.

Operation	Objects	System Tables	Access Permission
Connector Validation	Database	RDB$DATABASE	Run a read-only validation query
Crawling	Tables	RDB$RELATIONS (tables)	Select
Crawling	Views	RDB$RELATIONS (views)	Select
Crawling	Stored Procedures	RDB$PROCEDURES	Select
Crawling	Functions	RDB$FUNCTIONS	Select
Crawling	Sequences	RDB$GENERATORS	Select
Crawling	Indexes	RDB$INDICES, RDB$INDEX_SEGMENTS	Select
Crawling	Triggers	RDB$TRIGGERS	Select
Crawling	Columns (Tables/Views)	RDB$RELATION_FIELDS, RDB$FIELDS	Select
Crawling	Procedure Parameters	RDB$PROCEDURE_PARAMETERS	Select
Crawling	Function Arguments	RDB$FUNCTION_ARGUMENTS	Select
Query Sheet / Data Preview	Tables and Views	User tables/views	Select

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 Firebird, and complete the required parameters.

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

Field Name	Description
Connector Type	By default, "Firebird" 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: OE Credential Manager AWS Secrets Manager HashiCorp Vault Azure Key Vault
Connector Name*	Enter a unique name for the Firebird connection (Example: "Fire_Bird").
Connector description	Enter a brief description of the connector.
Host*	Enter the Firebird server name or IP address
Port*	By default, the port number for the Firebird, "3050" is auto-populated. If required, the port number can be modified as per the custom port number that is configured for your Firebird.
Database	Enter the database path or alias (Example: /path/to/db.fdb).
Username*	Enter the database username set up to access the Firebird database.
Password*	Enter the database password.
Role	Enter the role name (Optional).
Character Set	Enter the character set if required (e.g. UTF8)

Default Governance Roles
Default Governance Roles*	Select the appropriate users or teams for each governance role from the drop-down list. All users and teams configured in OvalEdge Security are displayed 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 OvalEdge Security 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 configured in OvalEdge. These bridges enable communication between data sources and OvalEdge without altering 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/Profile

To perform crawl operations, users must be assigned the Integration Admin role. For Firebird, the connector exposes a single database container (commonly default).

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 OvalEdge Data Catalog.

5. After a successful crawl, the information appears in the Data Catalog > Databases/Tables/Table Columns 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 in OvalEdge provides a centralized view of all configured connectors, including their health status.

Managing connectors includes:

• Connectors 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, 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.

  • Crawler: Configure data extraction.

  • Query Policies: Define query execution rules based on roles.

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

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

• 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	Invalid connection config.	Error Description: Required connection details are missing during validation. Resolution: Open the connector settings. Fill in all mandatory fields. Click Validate again.
2	Host is required.	Error Description: The Firebird server host is not provided, and the JDBC URL is not set. Resolution: Enter a valid Host value. Verify the host is reachable. Retry validation.
3	Database is required.	Error Description: Database path or alias is missing and JDBC URL is not set. Resolution: Enter the correct Database path or alias. Verify the database exists. Retry validation.
4	Connection failed: (message from driver/server)	Error Description: JDBC connection or validation query failed. Resolution: Verify host, port, and database details. Check username, password, and firewall access. Ensure Firebird service is running and retry.
5	Failed to get objects: (message from driver/server)	Error Description: Metadata retrieval failed for one or more objects. Resolution: Verify user has SELECT access to system tables. Check database connectivity. Retry the crawl operation.
6	Data preview is supported only for tables/views in Firebird.	Error Description: Data preview is requested for unsupported objects. Resolution: Select a table or view. Run data preview again. Use crawl for other object types.

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