Assign a characteristic type to an asset type

Assigning a characteristic type to an asset type allows you to enforce consistent data governance and standardization across your data landscape. By defining which characteristics are required or recommended for specific asset types, you ensure that critical metadata is captured and maintained, improving data discoverability, understanding, and overall data quality. This structured approach facilitates better data lineage, impact analysis, and compliance with data regulations.

Important 

In Collibra 2024.05, we launched a new user interface (UI) for Collibra Platform! You can learn more about this latest UI in the UI overview.

Use the following options to see the documentation in the latest UI or in the previous, classic UI:

You can assign a characteristic type to an asset type by adding it to the asset type assignment. This allows you to view and add characteristics of this type to assets of this type on the asset page, depending on the page layout and the scope of the domain.

Tip You can also assign a characteristic type to an asset type when editing the asset type layout.

Note 
  • Via the Import API, the import functionality or a workflow, you can add characteristics of types that are not in the assignment.
  • The asset page only shows characteristics whose type is in the asset type's assignment.

Prerequisites

You have a global role that has the Product Rights > System administration global permission.

Steps

  1. Open an asset type.
    1. On the main toolbar, click Products icon → Cogwheel icon Settings.
      The Collibra settings page opens.
    2. Click Operating Model.
      The Operating Model settings page opens.
    3. On the Asset types tab page, click the name of an asset type.

      The asset type page opens.

  2. In the tab pane, click the name of the assignment.
  3. Select Characteristics.
  4. Above the table, to the right, click Edit.
  5. Above the table, to the right, click Add a characteristic.

    The Add a Characteristic dialog box appears.

  6. Select the characteristic type that you want to add.
    Tip 
    • Use the filter to search for a specific characteristic type.
    • Characteristic types in gray are already assigned to the asset type.
    • Repeat this step for every characteristic type you want to assign.

    The characteristic type appears at the bottom of the table.

  7. If required, restrict the target asset types available for an assigned relation type to one of its child asset types using the Asset Type Filter.
  8. If required, edit the minimum or maximum number of occurrences of the characteristic:
    OptionDescription
    Cardinality Min

    The minimum number of occurrences of the characteristic.

    Set this option to 1 or greater to make the characteristic appear automatically on the asset page.

    Cardinality Max

    The maximum number of occurrences that you can assign to an asset type.

    Leave this option empty if you don't want a limit to the maximum number of occurrences.

    Note If you ingest assets via Edge set the maximum cardinality to at least 1.

  9. Above the table, to the right, click Save.