Informatica Data Catalog

Informatica Cloud Data Governance & Catalog is the data governance offering within the Informatica Intelligent Data Management Cloud (IDMC) software suite that includes an integrated data catalog as a component. It has the full range of functionality that you would expect from such a product. It includes a wide range of data source scanners to catalog metadata from assorted source applications such as SAP, and includes pre-built data classifications, automated data lineage, visual displays such as knowledge graphs to navigate a corporate data landscape, and integrated data delivery with Informatica’s data marketplace.

The product is integrated with the well-established data quality tools from Informatica, as well as the CLAIRE machine learning-driven metadata layer of the Informatica software, of which more anon. The software is cloud-native and can be deployed on hyperscalers such as AWS or Azure.

Informatica bolstered their policy management capabilities in July 2023 with the acquisition of Privitar. This allows them to not merely govern data access rule policies for privacy and security compliance, but directly control and enforce them.

The Data Catalog module sits alongside other Informatica offerings such as master data management and data quality, all based on a common metadata automation layer called CLAIRE. This layer, based on machine learning technology, allows such things as automated data discovery and classification and enables business users to interact with their data language via a natural language interface. This itself rests on a connectivity layer allowing access to a wide range of on-premises and cloud applications.
Metadata is accessible via knowledge graphs, and data can be automatically classified according to recommendations from the machine-learning suggestion of CLAIRE. Technical metadata is automatically given glossary definitions. The software can carry out extensive profiling and discovery of data using the data quality capabilities of the Informatica suite. For example, this might include schema matching and source-to-target lineage, all without the need for manual definition. Business users can customise additional data classifications as needed.

The software has extensive search capabilities including browsing business hierarchies visually, and has a natural language search capability. Business users can preview instances of detailed data to provide immediate insights as they navigate their data landscape. Knowledge graphs are an appealing way to visualise complex data relationships, discover related datasets and explore semantic or usage-based relationships. The product can not only scan metadata from applications such as SAP and databases such as Snowflake and Databricks, it can parse code and business intelligence reports to capture detailed information. Workflow automation can be set up to handle tasks such as approvals, for example, changes of data ownership. The tool can even be used to govern AI models along with associated datasets through a dedicated asset type. This allows the management of AI models, showing who is using the models and tracking the corporate data that the model has been trained on. Collaboration tools allow business users to comment on corporate data in a consumer-like manner, a process that enables greater trust to be built in the quality of data. Diagrams can show data quality scores overlaid on data lineage, monitoring how these change along a data pipeline. Lastly, a data marketplace enables trusted data products to be shopped and delivered with minimal curation required by data stewards through automating how data consumers connect with data assets they need to achieve business outcomes.

Customer Quotes
“Informatica AI and ML capabilities have greatly improved our intelligent data governance processes. As an example, one report which previously took more than 150-man hours to create, now takes a fraction of the time.”
Jacky Cheong, Head of Enterprise Data Governance, Celcom Axiata Berhad
“This is truly a life-saving initiative for us. Informatica enables the entire continuum of care, allowing us to take care of our patients and their families the best way we can.”
Dharam Padhaya, Principal Architect, Data Science and Analytics, Hackensack Meridian Health
“Informatica gives us critical insight to help ensure that we are very accurate and understand the risks we’re underwriting.”
Louis DiModugno, SVP, Chief Data Officer, HSB

Informatica Cloud Data Governance & Catalog is the data governance offering within the Informatica Intelligent Data Management Cloud (IDMC) software suite that includes an integrated data catalog as a component. It has the full range of functionality that you would expect from such a product. It includes a wide range of data source scanners to catalog metadata from assorted source applications such as SAP, and includes pre-built data classifications, automated data lineage, visual displays such as knowledge graphs to navigate a corporate data landscape, and integrated data delivery with Informatica’s data marketplace.

The product is integrated with the well-established data quality tools from Informatica, as well as the CLAIRE machine learning-driven metadata layer of the Informatica software, of which more anon. The software is cloud-native and can be deployed on hyperscalers such as AWS or Azure.

Informatica bolstered their policy management capabilities in July 2023 with the acquisition of Privitar. This allows them to not merely govern data access rule policies for privacy and security compliance, but directly control and enforce them.

The Data Catalog module sits alongside other Informatica offerings such as master data management and data quality, all based on a common metadata automation layer called CLAIRE. This layer, based on machine learning technology, allows such things as automated data discovery and classification and enables business users to interact with their data language via a natural language interface. This itself rests on a connectivity layer allowing access to a wide range of on-premises and cloud applications.

Metadata is accessible via knowledge graphs, and data can be automatically classified according to recommendations from the machine-learning suggestion of CLAIRE. Technical metadata is automatically given glossary definitions. The software can carry out extensive profiling and discovery of data using the data quality capabilities of the Informatica suite. For example, this might include schema matching and source-to-target lineage, all without the need for manual definition. Business users can customise additional data classifications as needed.

The software has extensive search capabilities including browsing business hierarchies visually, and has a natural language search capability. Business users can preview instances of detailed data to provide immediate insights as they navigate their data landscape. Knowledge graphs are an appealing way to visualise complex data relationships, discover related datasets and explore semantic or usage-based relationships. The product can not only scan metadata from applications such as SAP and databases such as Snowflake and Databricks, it can parse code and business intelligence reports to capture detailed information. Workflow automation can be set up to handle tasks such as approvals, for example, changes of data ownership. The tool can even be used to govern AI models along with associated datasets through a dedicated asset type. This allows the management of AI models, showing who is using the models and tracking the corporate data that the model has been trained on. Collaboration tools allow business users to comment on corporate data in a consumer-like manner, a process that enables greater trust to be built in the quality of data. Diagrams can show data quality scores overlaid on data lineage, monitoring how these change along a data pipeline. Lastly, a data marketplace enables trusted data products to be shopped and delivered with minimal curation required by data stewards through automating how data consumers connect with data assets they need to achieve business outcomes.

Customer Quotes

“Informatica AI and ML capabilities have greatly improved our intelligent data governance processes. As an example, one report which previously took more than 150-man hours to create, now takes a fraction of the time.”
Jacky Cheong, Head of Enterprise Data Governance, Celcom Axiata Berhad

“This is truly a life-saving initiative for us. Informatica enables the entire continuum of care, allowing us to take care of our patients and their families the best way we can.”
Dharam Padhaya, Principal Architect, Data Science and Analytics, Hackensack Meridian Health

“Informatica gives us critical insight to help ensure that we are very accurate and understand the risks we’re underwriting.”
Louis DiModugno, SVP, Chief Data Officer, HSB