Metadata Policy Helper App
The Metadata Policy Helper app creates and updates metadata policies in Atlan personas using asset selection patterns that aren't available through the UI, such as scoping a policy to all dashboards in a Looker folder or all assets across every connection. It checks whether the named policy already exists and either creates or updates it based on the configured inputs. This reference provides complete configuration details for the Metadata Policy Helper app.
Access
The Metadata Policy Helper app isn't enabled by default. To use this app, contact Atlan support and request it be added to your tenant.
The Atlan user who configures and runs this workflow must be a connection admin on every connection referenced in the policy. Without connection admin rights, the workflow can't apply the policy to assets in that connection.
Configuration
Select the pattern that matches how you want to scope the policy. Each pattern creates or updates a single policy (or a set of policies, in the case of the Connections pattern) within the specified persona.
- Looker Folder
- Tableau Project
- QuickSight Folder
- Connections
- Cognos Folder
Creates a metadata policy that covers all Looker dashboards belonging to one or more Looker folders.
Persona name
The name of the persona in Atlan where the policy is created or updated. The persona must already exist.
Example:
Analytics Team
Policy name
The display name for the policy. If a policy with this name already exists in the persona, the workflow updates it. If it doesn't exist, the workflow creates it.
Example:
Looker Sales Dashboards Policy
Looker connection
The Atlan connection representing the Looker instance on which to apply the policy.
Looker folder identifier
Specifies how the Looker folders are identified in the Looker folders field.
- Name (default): folders are referenced by their display name.
- ID: folders are referenced by their Looker folder ID.
Looker folders
A list of Looker folders whose dashboards are included in the policy. Separate multiple folders with @@@.
Example:
Sales Reporting@@@Executive Dashboards
Policy permissions
The set of permissions granted or denied by the policy. See Policy permissions for details on each option.
Policy type
- Allow: grants the selected permissions to users in the persona.
- Deny: explicitly denies the selected permissions. Deny overrides grants from any other policy for the same users.
Creates a metadata policy that covers all Tableau assets belonging to one or more Tableau projects.
When a project is selected, all sub-projects and their assets are automatically included in the policy scope.
Persona name
The name of the persona in Atlan where the policy is created or updated.
Example:
Data Analysts
Policy name
The display name for the policy. If a policy with this name already exists in the persona, it's updated; otherwise it's created.
Example:
Tableau Finance Project Policy
Tableau connection
The Atlan connection representing the Tableau instance on which to apply the policy.
Tableau projects
A list of Tableau projects whose assets are included in the policy. Separate multiple projects with @@@.
Example:
Finance@@@HR Reporting
Policy permissions
The set of permissions granted or denied by the policy. See Policy permissions for details on each option.
Policy type
- Allow: grants the selected permissions to users in the persona.
- Deny: explicitly denies the selected permissions. Deny overrides grants from any other policy for the same users.
Creates a metadata policy that covers all QuickSight dashboards, datasets, and analyses belonging to one or more QuickSight folders.
Persona name
The name of the persona in Atlan where the policy is created or updated.
Example:
BI Consumers
Policy name
The display name for the policy. If a policy with this name already exists in the persona, it's updated; otherwise it's created.
Example:
QuickSight Marketing Folder Policy
Connection
The Atlan connection representing the QuickSight instance on which to apply the policy.
Folder identifier
Specifies how the QuickSight folders are identified in the QuickSight folders field.
- Name (default): folders are referenced by their display name.
- ID: folders are referenced by their QuickSight folder ID.
Folders
A list of QuickSight folders whose assets are included in the policy. Separate multiple folders with @@@.
Example:
Marketing Analytics@@@Campaign Reports
Policy permissions
The set of permissions granted or denied by the policy. See Policy permissions for details on each option.
Policy type
- Allow: grants the selected permissions to users in the persona.
- Deny: explicitly denies the selected permissions. Deny overrides grants from any other policy for the same users.
Creates one policy per connection, covering all assets in each selected connection. This is useful for granting or restricting access at the connection level across an entire Atlan instance.
Policy names are generated automatically by concatenating the policy prefix with each connection's GUID.
Persona name
The name of the persona in Atlan where the policies are created or updated.
Example:
Data Platform Team
Policy prefix
A string prepended to the connection GUID to form the policy name. Policies that already exist with a matching name are updated; otherwise they're created.
Example:
connection-access-
Connection selector
Determines which connections are included.
- All: creates a policy for every connection in the Atlan instance.
- Remove connection list: an optional list of connection names to exclude. Leave blank to include every connection.
- Some: creates a policy only for the connections you specify.
Policy permissions
The set of permissions granted or denied by the policy. See Policy permissions for details on each option.
Policy type
- Allow: grants the selected permissions to users in the persona.
- Deny: explicitly denies the selected permissions. Deny overrides grants from any other policy for the same users.
Creates a metadata policy that covers all Cognos reports, dashboards, explorations, files, modules, packages, and sub-folders belonging to one or more Cognos folders.
Persona name
The name of the persona in Atlan where the policy is created or updated.
Example:
Finance Analysts
Policy name
The display name for the policy. If a policy with this name already exists in the persona, it's updated; otherwise it's created.
Example:
Cognos Finance Folder Policy
Cognos connection
The Atlan connection representing the Cognos instance on which to apply the policy.
Cognos folder identifier
Specifies how the Cognos folders are identified in the Cognos folders field.
- Name (default): folders are referenced by their display name.
- ID: folders are referenced by their Cognos folder ID.
Cognos folders
A list of Cognos folders whose assets are included in the policy. Separate multiple folders with @@@.
Example:
Finance Reports@@@Audit Packages
Policy permissions
The set of permissions granted or denied by the policy. See Policy permissions for details on each option.
Policy type
- Allow: grants the selected permissions to users in the persona.
- Deny: explicitly denies the selected permissions. Deny overrides grants from any other policy for the same users.
Policy permissions
The following permissions can be included in any policy pattern. Select one or more.
| Permission | What it controls |
|---|---|
| Assets Read | View an asset's activity log, custom metadata, and SQL queries. |
| Assets Update | Change asset metadata, including description, certification, owners, README, and resources. |
| Update Custom Metadata Values | Edit custom metadata values applied to assets. |
| Add Tags | Associate Atlan tags with assets. |
| Remove Tags | Remove Atlan tags from assets. |
| Add Terms | Link glossary terms to assets. |
| Remove Terms | Unlink glossary terms from assets. |
| API Create | Create new assets within the selected connection via the Atlan API. |
| API Delete | Delete assets within the selected connection via the Atlan API. |
See also
- Metadata policy reference: Technical reference for metadata policies.
- What are personas: Understand how personas scope access.
- Create a persona: Step-by-step guide to create a persona.
- Create policies with Metadata Policy Helper: How-to guide for configuring and running the app.