Managing relation indexes in Data Marketplace

Updated: July 8, 2025

The Data Marketplace relation-based search and relation-based custom filters help to optimize the search experience. They allow data consumers to, for example, find data sets by entering business terms.

The relation-based search and relation-based filters feature in Data Marketplace needs to be enabled, and needs indexed relations, meaning that the relations are stored for search purposes. Relations are indexed based on defined relation indexes. Several out-of-the-box relation indexes are available. However, Data Marketplace administrators can create, update, and delete relation indexes based on the organization's needs.

The relation-based search automatically takes all relation indexes into account.
To use a relation index as a relation-based custom filter, the administrator must activate the filter in the Data Marketplace Filters settings.

Elements in a relation index

A relation index consists of a name and one or more relation paths.

If used as a filter, the name of the relation index can become visible in the Filters pane. For more information go to Filters settings.
- The name of a relation index cannot be changed.
- A _ (underscore) or a space in the name will translate in a space in the Filters pane.
A relation path represents the chain of relations that allows Data Marketplace to find assets that have a direct or indirect relation with each other.
- A relation path starts from the asset type or asset type group you want in the search results (root asset type) and ends with the asset type, asset type group, or attribute type you want to filter on.
  Important You can start a relation path only from asset types or asset type groups included in the Data Marketplace scope, as the scope defines which assets users can retrieve as results.
- The relation path also takes the asset type children’s relations into account.
- A relation path can contain 1 to 4 relations.
- A relation index can contain multiple relation paths. However, each relation path must end with the same asset type.
- If you use an asset type group in a relation index:
  - You can add relation type groups at the start of the relation path, if they are included in the Data Marketplace scope, in the middle of the relation path, or at the end.
  - As relation index can include only one relation path that contains an asset type group and you can reference only one asset type from the asset type group.
  - Relations assigned to the asset type group are available only available by selecting the asset type group in the relation path.

Questions to construct a relation index

Use the following questions to prepare for the creation of relation indexes.

Question	Answer and consequence	Example
Which asset type (and children) or asset types do you want to filter out?	If you identified one asset type, then this asset type is your root asset type, meaning the first asset type in your relation path. If you identified multiple asset types, you need to create a relation path for each asset type. You can also select an asset type group.	Table
Which asset type, asset type group, or attribute type do you want to filter on? If it is an attribute type, which asset type does it belong to? Note Only Text, Selection, Multiple Selection, Numbers, and Boolean (True/False) attribute types can be selected as attributes in a relation path.	This asset type is the last asset type in your relation path. The asset type or attribute type should be reflected in the filter name.	Data Domain.
In your metamodel, which path do you need to follow to get from the first to last asset type in the relation-based filter?	This is the relation path you will need to use.	To go from Table to Data Domain, we need the following path: Table contains Column, Column is represented by Data Attribute, Data Attribute is part of Data Entity, Data Entity to Data Domain.
Which filter name is meaningful to consumers of the data?		Data Domain

Out-of-the-box relation indexes

Filter	Relation paths
Business Asset	Relation path for Business Asset - Data Set: Data Set is related to Business Asset Relation path for Business Asset - Report: Report is related to Business Asset Relation path for Business Asset - Table: Table is related to Business Asset Relation path for Business Asset - Table: Table contains Column Column is represented by Business Asset Relation path for Business Asset - Table: Table contains Column Column is represented by Data Attribute Data Attribute is represented by Business Asset
Data Concept	Relation path for Data Concept - Data Set: Data Set contains Column Column is represented by Data Attribute Data Attribute is classified by Data Concept Relation path for Data Concept - Table: Table contains Column Column is represented by Data Attribute Data Attribute is classified by Data Concept
Data Domain	Relation path for Data Domain - Data Set: Data Set contains Column Column is represented by Data Attribute Data Attribute is part of Data Entity Data Entity is classified by Data Domain Relation path for Data Domain - Table: Table contains Column Column is represented by Data Attribute Data Attribute is part of Data Entity Data Entity is classified by Data Domain
Data Entity	Relation path for Data Entity - Table: Table contains Column Column is represented by Data Attribute Data Attribute is part of Data Entity
Data Source	Relation path for Data Source - Table: Table is part of Schema The data source is an attribute of the Schema asset.
Source System	Relation path for Source System - Data Set: Data Set is implemented into Source System Relation path for Source System - Table: Table is part of Schema Schema belongs to Technology Asset Technology Asset is grouped by Source System

Important The out-of-the-box relation index Data Set - Column, which is specific to relation-based search, is not visible and cannot be updated or removed.