Data catalog: Simplify data access

A data catalog is a centralized inventory that organizes and manages all your organization’s data assets through metadata. Unlike traditional catalogs that simply list data locations, Actian empowers your teams with an intelligent, AI-powered platform that automatically discovers, indexes, and updates metadata from across your entire data ecosystem.

Actian transforms metadata into actionable intelligence through our federated knowledge graph technology, enabling both technical and business users to find, understand, and trust data instantly.

The Actian Data Intelligence Platform uses a knowledge graph architecture to create intelligent, multilateral relationships between data assets, powering seamless data discovery and governance at enterprise scale.

Actian eliminates manual cataloging through comprehensive automation that keeps your catalog current and comprehensive:

• Automated discovery: Built-in scanners automatically index new data assets as they appear across your infrastructure.
• Daily synchronization: Continuous updates ensure metadata reflects current system states without manual intervention.
• Extensive connectivity: 75+ pre-built connectors support Snowflake, Azure, AWS, Tableau, Power BI, SQL Server, Oracle, SAP, MongoDB, Databricks, and other enterprise sources.
• Smart classification: AI algorithms automatically categorize and tag data assets based on content analysis.

This automation empowers your data teams to focus on strategic analysis rather than tedious documentation tasks, while ensuring you always have access to the most current data landscape.

Actian transforms data discovery from a technical challenge into an intuitive experience that empowers all users:

• Google-like search interface: Simple keyword searches return relevant, ranked results without requiring technical expertise.
• Natural language queries: Business users can search using familiar terms rather than technical schema names.
• Personalized exploration paths: The platform learns from your usage patterns to suggest relevant datasets and related assets.
• AI-powered recommendations: Intelligent suggestions help users discover connected data products they might have missed.
• Interactive lineage visualization: Select any data element to see its complete transformation journey.

These capabilities democratize data access across your organization, enabling faster decision-making and reducing dependency on technical experts.

Data lineage tracks the complete lifecycle of data from its origin through all transformations to final consumption points. Actian provides field-level lineage visibility that traces individual data elements through complex transformations across your entire ecosystem. We empower your teams through:

• Interactive lineage graphs: Visual, user-friendly interface allows clicking on any field to see its transformation journey.
• Impact analysis capabilities: Quickly identify which downstream systems will be affected by upstream changes.
• Automated relationship mapping: Platform automatically captures connections between databases, applications, ETL processes, and reports.
• Risk reduction: Proactive identification of data dependencies prevents system failures during changes.

This visibility enables precise change management and reduces operational risks across your data infrastructure.

Actian provides two dedicated applications optimized for different personas and business glossary workflows:

• • Actian Studio (for data stewards and governance teams):

• Comprehensive Glossary Administration: Create, modify, and manage business term hierarchies.

• Metamodel Configuration: Define custom business concept types and their relationships.

• Governance Workflow Management: Establish approval processes and stewardship responsibilities.

• Advanced Relationship Mapping: Configure how business terms connect to technical assets.

• • Actian Explorer (for business users and data consumers):

• Intuitive Glossary Browsing: Search and explore business terms through marketplace-style interfaces.

• One-Click Access: Instantly access predefined business definitions relevant to specific use cases.

• Context-Rich Discovery: View business terms alongside relevant data assets and quality indicators.

• Interactive Exploration: Navigate business concept relationships through visual graph interfaces.

Our dual-approach democratizes business glossary access while maintaining governance control.

Actian operates as a central intelligence layer that enhances your existing data investments rather than replacing them:

• Quality solution synchronization: Automatically integrates with your current data quality tools to display trust indicators during discovery.
• Quality metrics: Users can assess data trustworthiness before issues arise, improving decision confidence.
• Infrastructure compatibility: Seamless integration with existing data warehouses, lakes, and analytical platforms.
• API-first architecture: Comprehensive APIs enable custom integrations and workflow automation.
• Metadata consolidation: Unifies metadata from disparate systems into a single, coherent view.

This integration approach empowers your organization to leverage existing investments while gaining enhanced visibility and control over your data landscape.

Our data catalog provides the semantic foundation that transforms AI from experimental models into production-ready, trustworthy systems by adding business context to technical data.

AI Empowerment Capabilities:

• Context Enrichment: Business definitions help AI systems understand not just what data is, but how it should be used.
• Trust Indicators: You can add quality indicators essential for AI model training.
• Relationship Intelligence: Knowledge graph technology provides the rich context AI systems require for accurate interpretation.
• Production Readiness: Comprehensive business vocabulary enables AI initiatives to scale beyond isolated experiments.

AI-Ready Data Foundation:

• Automated business term discovery captures context needed for model training.
• Integration ensures AI systems access governed, trustworthy data.
• Semantic relationships support advanced AI applications requiring business understanding.

Learn more about creating an AI-ready data foundation with the Actian Data Intelligence Platform.