> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.ovaledge.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.ovaledge.com/release8.2/getting-started/about-ovaledge.md). # About OvalEdge OvalEdge is a modern data governance and catalog platform that serves as a central hub for managing enterprise data. It connects to various data sources across an organization, enabling users to discover, catalog, govern, and consume data consistently. The platform combines metadata management, data quality, lineage, access management, Data Products, and AI-assisted capabilities to support data governance and data-driven decision-making. {% embed url="" %} ## Core Capabilities of OvalEdge ### 1. askEdgi askEdgi provides an AI-assisted experience for discovering, analyzing, and working with enterprise data and metadata. * **Natural Language Interaction:** Ask questions and analyze data using natural language. * **Context-Aware Analysis:** Use governed assets, including datasets, Business Glossary terms, Data Products, files, and other metadata, as context for analysis. * **Data Discovery:** Discover relevant data and metadata using contextual and metadata-driven search. * **Recipes:** Create and reuse analytical workflows for recurring business and analysis scenarios. * **AI-Assisted Analysis:** Generate and refine analytical logic while reducing the need to work directly with SQL or Python. * **Governed AI Usage:** Apply governance controls when using enterprise data in AI-assisted workflows. ### 2. Model Context Protocol (MCP) The **OvalEdge MCP Server** enables organizations to connect MCP-compatible AI applications, assistants, and agentic workflows with governed metadata and data governance capabilities. Users can discover, understand, and manage enterprise metadata through natural-language interactions while existing permissions and governance controls remain enforced. * **AI Application Integration:** Connect MCP-compatible AI applications and assistants to OvalEdge through standardized MCP interfaces, with support for local and remote deployment models. * **Metadata and Asset Discovery:** Search and explore catalog assets, Business Glossary terms, Data Stories, connectors, relationships, profiling information, and platform documentation using natural language. * **Governance Context:** Access metadata with relevant ownership, stewardship, classifications, certifications, Data Quality information, and other governance context. * **Lineage and Change Analysis:** Explore upstream and downstream lineage and analyze metadata changes between crawls to understand dependencies and schema evolution. * **Governance Actions:** Create Business Glossary terms and tags, manage governance roles and Critical Data Element (CDE) associations, and update asset descriptions and Custom Field values through governed AI-assisted interactions. * **Data Quality Assistance:** Use business context and governed metadata to recommend, reuse, associate, or create Data Quality Rules where supported. * **Access Discovery:** Investigate effective OvalEdge object permissions and supported native source-system access to understand who can access specific assets and how permissions are granted. * **Security and Access Control:** Execute requests using the authenticated user’s permissions while respecting existing access controls, governance policies, and approval processes. ### 3. Data Products Data Products package governed data assets into reusable and consumable units. * **Creation and Management:** Create, manage, and publish Data Products using governed data assets. * **Marketplace:** Discover and access Data Products through search, filters, tags, and curated discovery options. * **Governance:** Assign governance roles and manage responsibilities throughout the Data Product lifecycle. * **Access and Delivery:** Provide controlled access to metadata, data previews, or data based on configured delivery options. * **Lifecycle Management:** Manage Data Products through creation, publication, updates, subscriptions, and archival. * **Requests and Approvals:** Support governed workflows for requesting and accessing Data Products. ### 4. Data Cataloging OvalEdge builds a centralized data catalog by crawling, profiling, and organizing metadata from connected data sources. * **Crawling:** Discovers metadata such as tables, views, columns, stored procedures, functions, reports, files, and source code where supported. * **Profiling:** Analyzes data to capture statistical and structural information, including row counts, null counts, distinct values, and sample data. * **Metadata Management:** Manage descriptions, classifications, custom fields, governance roles, and other metadata for cataloged objects. * **Metadata Discovery:** Search, filter, and explore cataloged assets using business and technical metadata. ### 5. Data Governance OvalEdge supports governance initiatives through metadata stewardship, Business Glossary management, Data Quality, privacy management, and Reference Data Management. * **Data Literacy:** Classify data, assign domains and categories, create Business Glossary terms, and associate business definitions with governed assets. * **Data Quality:** Define Data Quality Rules, monitor quality metrics, identify issues, and track remediation activities. * **Governance Roles:** Assign Owners, Stewards, Custodians, and other governance roles to establish accountability. * **Privacy Compliance:** Support privacy classification and Records of Processing Activities (ROPA). * **Reference Data Management:** Manage authoritative reference data and associate it with relevant business metadata. ### 6. Data Discovery OvalEdge provides multiple ways to discover and understand governed data. * **Global Search:** Search across cataloged data and metadata using filters, tags, and governance information. * **Tag-Based Navigation:** Organize and discover assets using tags and classifications. * **AI-Assisted Discovery:** Use askEdgi to discover relevant assets through natural language and contextual metadata. * **Data Product Discovery:** Discover governed and consumable Data Products through the Marketplace. * **Relationship-Based Discovery:** Explore related business, technical, and governance metadata to better understand data context. ### 7. Data Lineage and Impact Analysis OvalEdge provides lineage capabilities to understand data movement, dependencies, and the impact of changes. * **Lineage Tracking:** Trace data movement and dependencies across supported systems and data objects. * **Impact Analysis:** Analyze upstream and downstream relationships before making changes. * **Automated and Manual Lineage:** Generate lineage automatically where supported and manually define additional relationships when required. * **AI-Assisted Lineage:** Enhance lineage generation for supported complex data pipelines and transformations. * **Lineage Monitoring:** Monitor lineage processing, execution status, and errors for operational visibility. ### 8. Access Management and Security OvalEdge provides governance-based controls for managing access to data and metadata. * **RBAC and UBAC:** Control access using role-based and user-level permissions. * **Data Asset Groups:** Apply governance and access controls to groups of data assets. * **Column Security and Masking:** Protect sensitive information using column-level security and masking policies. * **Policy Visibility:** View and manage policy associations across governed data objects. * **Remote Access Management:** Manage and synchronize supported access permissions with external data systems. * **Governance-Based Access:** Use governance roles and responsibilities to control access to supported assets and Data Products. ### 9. Connectivity OvalEdge connects to enterprise data ecosystems through built-in connectors. Supported connector categories include: * **RDBMS:** Oracle, MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQL Server * **Data Warehouses:** Amazon Redshift, Google BigQuery, Snowflake, Vertica * **ETL and Data Integration Tools:** AWS DMS, Azure Data Factory, Informatica PowerCenter * **File Systems and Data Lakes:** Amazon S3, Azure Data Lake, HDFS, SharePoint, Microsoft Fabric OneLake * **Applications:** Salesforce, SAP BO * **NoSQL Databases:** MongoDB, Cassandra * **Reporting and BI Tools:** Power BI, Tableau, MicroStrategy, IBM Cognos, Amazon QuickSight * **Connector Capabilities:** Depending on the connector, supported capabilities can include crawling, profiling, data preview, lineage, Data Quality, and access management. ### 10. Self-Service Tools OvalEdge provides self-service tools that help users discover, analyze, manage, and share data. * Query data across supported data sources. * Analyze data using Query Sheets. * Compare datasets and schemas. * Create and consume Data Stories. * Manage projects and related activities. * Upload and manage supported files. * Access catalog information and governance context through browser integrations. * Collaborate through community and knowledge-sharing capabilities. ### 11. Operational Features OvalEdge provides operational capabilities for monitoring and managing platform activities. * **Job Monitoring:** Monitor background jobs, execution status, runtime, and failures. * **Job Execution Management:** Manage job processing and execution behavior. * **Connector and Bridge Monitoring:** Monitor connector and Bridge health, availability, and operational status. * **Logging and Troubleshooting:** Review logs and error information to identify and resolve operational issues. * **Audit Tracking:** Track supported user actions, metadata changes, and administrative activities. * **Advanced Jobs:** Run specialized jobs for metadata maintenance, migration, lineage processing, and administrative operations. *** Copyright © 2026, OvalEdge LLC, Peachtree Corners, GA, USA. --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. 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