Configure Search Across Specific Dataset (v7.1.0+)

Content does not have to be physically located in Metric Insights in order to be searchable in the system. Global Search functionality is able to perform search not only within the system in general, but also through the Dataset columns. This means, that the Administrator can create a Dataset that contains links to Reports, located in external tool and Global Search will be able to find them and present said links to the User. Besides that, searchability of the Reports can be restricted to particular Users/Groups based on Security Access Datasets.

This article describes how make the Dataset searchable and configure security for it.

PREREQUISITES:

  1. Create a Dataset that includes the Title and Link columns.
    • The Title column should contain Report titles and Link column should contain links to the corresponding Reports. The rest of the columns are optional.
    • Check Create a Dataset from CSV File article if necessary.
  2. Enable the Dataset.

NOTE: Be aware, that there will be no Tiles created for Reports, stored in the form of links inside a Dataset.

Access Admin > System > Search Setup and find the Datasets to include in search section in the Setup tab

  1. [+ Add Dataset]
  2. Dataset: Select the created Dataset from the drop-down menu.
  3. [Save]

2. Map Dataset Columns

  1. Title Column: Specifies the field by which the system searches for a Report.
    • By default, the system searches Reports by the Title column; however, you can add more columns in the Dataset Columns for Search section.
  2. Description: Description of the searched object; it will be displayed under the Title.
    • Description is also indexed by the search system.
  3. Object View URL: Attaches URL links to Titles; an external URL will be opened in a separate tab, while a URL from the same instance will be opened in the current window.
  4. Allow click through to external tool: Select this checkbox to allow adding links to an external resource.
    • External Tool Type: Chosen tool type will be displayed with a corresponding icon in the "View in ..." link.
    • External Tool URL: Attaches URL links to Objects in the external tool.
  5. Thumbnail Link Column: Identifies the preview to be displayed in the search results.
  6. Content Type Column: Includes names of content types based on which specific icons will be shown in search results. For the list of available Content Types, check the folded section below.
  7. Object Type Column: Includes names of Object types (e.g., Workbook for Tableau).
  8. Category ID Column: Includes IDs of actual Categories to be shown under the Description; Category IDs can be used for filtering from the left-hand panel.
  9. File Path Column: Includes paths to links located locally / in a file sharing system.
    • NOTE:
      • Required to fill out if you want to restrict Group access to content based on file paths. See the section below.
      • Users that have access to parent folders inherit access to content in child folders if links to this content are included in the Report Link Dataset. The inheritance doesn't apply to folder paths that include backslash "\" signs (for example, domain\folder-name\page-name). 
  10. Tags Column: Can include actual Tags and other text inputs.
    • Actual Tags will appear in search results as clickable and can be used for filtering; text inputs will appear as non-clickable text.
  11. Certification Flag Column: Includes the Certification state ("Y"/"N" or none).
    • Proceed with the rest of the Certification-related configuration at Step 15, if needed.
  12. Discoverability Flag Column: Includes the Discoverability state ("Y"/"N" or none). Discoverability settings work only if Access Restrictions are applied in the Access tab.
    • If a User doesn't have access to content based on the User/Group Restriction Dataset and Discoverability is set to "Y", the lock icon will appear next to the Report's name in search results.
  13. Engagement Column: Includes Engagement counts that are not tied to those calculated by the system. Can be set to any number.
  14. Folder ID Column: Includes IDs of existing Folders.
    • NOTE: This functionality is implemented for sorting by Folder IDs on Portal Pages.
  15. The following configuration is optional; however, will be ignored if the Certification Flag Column is not set-up.
    • Certification Level Column: Includes the existing Certification levels.
    • Certified By Column: Can include the existing MI Users or other text inputs.
    • Certification Date Column: Includes the certification date in the following format:  2019-06-04 07:58:40
  16. Icon: Upload an icon that will appear next to the Report Link Dataset in search tabs.

2.1. Column Data Visualization

Available Content Types

Here's a list of Content Types, available in the Content Type Column:

Alias in the Content Type Column Field Name of the BI App
alteryx
Alteryx
anaconda
Anaconda
ataccama
Ataccama
atlan
Atlan
atlassianjira
Atlassian Jira
atscale
AtScale
awssagemaker
Amazon SageMaker
cloudera
Cloudera
cognos
IBM Cognos
collibra
Collibra
cubedev
Cube.dev
data-catalog
Google Dataplex
data3sixty
data3sixty
databricks
Databricks
dataiku
Dataiku
datarobot
DataRobot
dataworld
data.world
db2
IBM Db2
dbt
dbt
denodo
Denodo
dremio
Dremio
epic
Epic
excel
Microsoft Excel
google-bigquery
Google BigQuery
googledrive
Google Drive
googlesheets
Google Sheets
ibm
IBM
informatica
Informatica
looker
Looker
metric-insights
Metric Insights
msssrs
Microsoft SSRS
microstrategy
MicroStrategy
mlflow
ML Flow
montecarlo
Monte Carlo
msppt
Microsoft PowerPoint
mspurview
Microsoft Purview
mssharepoint
Microsoft SharePoint
msword
Microsoft Word
mysql
MySQL
obiee
Oracle OBIEE
pdf
PDF
video
Video
postgres
PostgreSQL
powerbi
Power BI
qlik
Qlik
rshiny
R Shiny
salesforce
Salesforce
sap-hana
SAP HANA
sapbobj
SAP BusinessObjects
snowflake
Snowflake
splunk
Splunk
starburst
Starburst
tableau
Tableau
teradata
Teradata
thoughtspot
ThoughtSpot
tibco
Spotfire
trino
Trino

If there is a column with Glossary Terms in the Dataset, it is possible to map it with Metric Insights Glossary.

  1. [+ Add Dataset Column]
  2. Dataset Column: Select the column of the Dataset that contains Glossary Terms.
  3. Glossary Section: Select the Glossary Section to map the Dataset column with.
  4. [Save]

By default, only the Title and Description column of the Dataset are indexed for search. To index additional columns, find the Dataset Columns for Search section.

  1. [+ Add Dataset Column]
  2. Dataset Column: Select the column of the Dataset to include in indexing.
  3. Column data is formatted in JSON: Select this checkbox if the data is in JSON format to avoid wrong reading.
  4. [Save]

5. Add Custom Field Mapping

You can map the Report Link Dataset Columns to the existing Custom Fields and populate Values from the Dataset and use them for filtering in search.

Custom Fields accept and display values in search depending on the type ("Field is") of the Custom Filed in Metric Insights.

NOTE: Custom Fields column can be indexed for search, but it has to be added to Dataset Columns for Search grid with Column data is formatted in JSON checkbox left not selected.

  1. [+Add Mapping]
  2. Map a Dataset Column to a Custom Field.
  3. [Save]

6. Manage Access

By default, the access is set to "No Security", meaning that any User can have access to the search data.

There are several ways of restricting Users from receiving access to the data of a specific Dataset.

6.1. Adding Groups

The first way to restrict Users from the data is to select Groups that are allowed to see it. All the Users within those Groups will be granted access to the data.

  1. Select the "Group Access" in the Content Search Security field.
  2. Click [+ Add Group], select the Group from the list and click [Save].
  3. Access Request URL: Optionally, add a URL, to which the User will be redirected after requesting access to the data.

6.2. Using Row Level Security

In this case the following information has to be loaded into MI in the form of Datasets:

  • A List of Groups that grants access to its members
  • A List of Individual Users to whom access is provided

NOTE: Group access can be configured based on access to either Report links or paths to folders where these Report links are stored. For the Folder Path option, the Report Link Dataset must include the File Path Column.

Access Control Datasets need to include pairs of actual MI Group Names/Usernames and Report URL/Folder Paths to which these Groups/Users will have access from search:

NOTE: With the "Row Lever Security" setting enabled, it is no longer required for a User to have access to a Category in which the link is placed in order to find the associated object in search. The User are able to find the object in search and filter by Category (if one is included in a Report list Dataset).

  1. Group Access Control List: Choose the pre-loaded Dataset to restrict access for Groups.
  2. Depending on the selected Source Type, map the required columns
  3. User Access Control List: Choose the pre-loaded Dataset to restrict access for Users.
  4. Map the required columns.

NOTE: Do not forget to save your changes and update search indexes to make changes effective.