Import and validate custom metamodel data

This page covers DAM Excel import and its differences from SQLink files. Complete Metamodel design, including root assembly, first.

Prepare plugins and a DAM source

1. Install product-provided metamodel source and reverse engineering plugins. The basic template solution uses METAMODELDEMO.
2. Verify enablement. Use an adapted plugin for other sources.
3. Create a custom source in Metadata > Data Sources, associate a system, and choose the plugin.
4. Create harvesting normally. This template configuration creates the management structure without reading external business metadata. Its name identifies the schema.

Do not treat inactive connection fields in the demonstration plugin as real external connection settings.

Complete and import Excel

1. Download the model-based template from source details.
2. Preserve the first root sheet's ID and Name; Name corresponds to the schema.
3. Enter children and parent ID/Name references.
4. Complete deeper hierarchy names consistently.
5. Select the source in Metadata > Datasets and Import Metadata.
6. Inspect failures and correct missing parent IDs and duplicate names.

AI_AGENT.DIG is only a hierarchy format example. Use actual root and child names.

Verify results

Open root instances, shared properties, children, groups, and relationships. For incremental imports, provide changes only, inspect merging, and validate a small sample first.

Understand the SQLink differences

SQLink uses File harvesting with a namespace, not the DAM demo plugin. The root ID can be empty; child Name can describe the root. These rules do not apply to DAM root templates.

After execution, filter SQLink's catalog by source and verify the synchronized DAM results.

Add custom lineage

1. Create an Excel lineage task in SQLink and download its template.
2. Enter source, target, namespace, and schema, including many-to-many relationships where needed.
3. Turn off Chinese display in lineage analysis to inspect object paths.
4. Import, parse, and inspect lineage on metadata objects.
5. For empty graphs, verify synchronization to the space's database resources and synchronize manually if needed.

Related: SQLink administration, Basic lineage.