Business Intelligence
In Pentaho Data Catalog, within the Business Intelligence section, you can manage and explore metadata from various third-party business intelligence (BI) tools. BI tools, like Tableau and Power BI, connect different data sources to create visual reports and dashboards that facilitate informed decision-making.
These tools generate valuable metadata, including information about reports, visualizations, datasets, data fields, data flows, and the users who created or last modified them. By integrating these BI tools into Data Catalog, you can import and catalog this metadata as BI server components in a well-structured, hierarchical format, making it easier to navigate and govern. This integration gives visibility into how data is utilized, which reports rely on specific datasets, and how frequently certain business assets are accessed or modified.
Currently, the Business Intelligence section supports integration with:
Tableau server: Import metadata from Tableau sites, projects, workbooks, dashboards, reports, and underlying datasets.
Power BI server: Import metadata from Power BI tenants, workspaces, apps, reports, dashboards, datasets, tables, columns, and dataflows.
Tableau server
Tableau is a business intelligence platform that enables users to connect to data from various sources, analyze it, and create interactive visualizations such as dashboards, charts, and reports. Widely used across industries, Tableau empowers business users to make data-driven decisions through intuitive drag-and-drop interfaces and real-time analytics.
Tableau server is the enterprise version of the platform that hosts workbooks, dashboards, and data sources centrally. It supports role-based access, sharing, collaboration, and scheduling features that help scale insights across organizations.
Tableau server components
In Data Catalog, you connect to the Tableau server and import its components into the Business Intelligence section. To learn more, see the Manage Business Intelligence components topic under the Manage Business Intelligence components section in the Administer Pentaho Data Catalog guide. Once imported, the Tableau server is represented as a node under the Business Intelligence section, with nested components organized by their logical relationships. These components include projects, workbooks, reports, report pages, charts, datasets, data flows, and individual data attributes.
The following table lists the components of the Tableau server hierarchy in Data Catalog:
1
Tableau Server
Site
Represents a Tableau site on the connected server. Sites isolate content, users, and permissions.
Dev-8f012f9ca7
2
Folder
Project
Logical container for Tableau content such as workbooks and data sources.
Sample, Default
3
Dataset
Published Data Source
Centralized data asset used by multiple reports or dashboards. May be extracted or live.
Sales Analytics Data Source
4
Data Entity
Table/Logical Table
Represents a physical or logical table within a dataset.
Orders, Customer_Orders
5
Data Attribute
Column
Column or field within a table or data entity.
Order Date, Revenue
6
Report
Workbook
Collection of one or more dashboards, sheets, and stories built on Tableau data sources.
World Indicators
7
Report Page
Dashboard/Sheet
Visual page within a report; may include charts, filters, and other layout elements.
Global Health Metrics
8
Chart
View
A single visualization, such as a bar chart, line graph, or map, inside a sheet or dashboard.
GDP Growth by Country
9
Report Attribute
Field
A data field used in a report visualization. It may come from a Tableau extract or a live connection.
Customer ID, Sales Region
10
Data Flow
Workbook Relationships
Shows flow of data across datasets, fields, and visualizations. Captures lineage and usage.
Sales Trends Flow
The following is the Tableau server component hierarchy:
Power BI server
Power BI is Microsoft’s business analytics service that enables users to connect to multiple data sources, analyze information, and create interactive visualizations such as reports, dashboards, and charts. Power BI provides an intuitive interface for designing and sharing insights, empowering business users to make informed decisions through data exploration and self-service analytics.
Power BI server (also referred to as the Power BI service) is the enterprise version of the platform that hosts workspaces, apps, reports, dashboards, and datasets centrally in the cloud. It supports secure authentication, role-based access, collaboration, and automated refresh capabilities, allowing organizations to scale analytics across teams while maintaining governance and compliance.
Power BI server components
In Data Catalog, you connect to the Power BI server and import its components into the Business Intelligence section. To learn more, see the Import and sync Power BI server components into Data Catalog topic under the Manage Business Intelligence components section in the Administer Pentaho Data Catalog guide. Once imported, the Power BI server is represented as a node under the Business Intelligence section, with nested components organized by their logical relationships. These components include tenants, workspaces, apps, reports, report pages, charts, datasets, tables, fields, and dataflows.
The following table lists the components of the Power BI server hierarchy in Data Catalog:
1
Power BI Server
Power BI Tenant / Environment
Represents the connected Power BI tenant or environment, which contains workspaces, apps, reports, and datasets.
ContosoTenant
2
Folder
Workspace / App
Logical container for Power BI content, including reports, dashboards, and datasets.
FinanceWorkspace, SalesApp
3
Report
Report / Dashboard
A published report or dashboard that contains pages and visualizations.
Sales Performance Report
4
Report Page
Report Page
A visual page within a Power BI report; may include multiple charts and filters.
Q1 Revenue Page
5
Chart
Visual / Visual Element / Tile
An individual visualization, such as a bar chart, line graph, or KPI tile, on a report page.
Revenue by Region Chart
6
Report Attribute
Visual Element Information
Metadata about a visual element, such as the measures or dimensions used.
Total Sales (Measure)
7
Dataset
Dataset
A centralized data model or dataset used by multiple reports or dashboards.
CustomerOrders Dataset
8
Data Entity
Table
A physical or logical table inside a dataset.
Orders, Customer
9
Data Attribute
Field
A column or field within a table or data entity.
OrderDate, Revenue
10
Data Flow
Dataflow
ETL or transformation flow that prepares data for use in datasets.
Sales Dataflow
The following image shows the hierarchy of Power BI Server components:
Tour the Business Intelligence (BI) components page
In Data Catalog, the Business Intelligence section provides a user-friendly interface for managing and viewing BI server components like Tableau servers and their components. To access and explore the BI server components page, on the left navigation menu, click Business Intelligence. This page is divided into two primary areas: Navigation and Content pane.
Business Intelligence (BI) components navigation pane
In Data Catalog, on the left navigation pane, you see a list of Business Intelligence (BI) servers like Tableau and Power BI, and their components, including folders, reports, data sets, data attributes, and more, organized in a hierarchical tree structure. You can explore this hierarchy to locate specific BI server components for further analysis. You can choose View Table or View Galaxy under Actions to understand the BI server components hierarchy.
To configure and import BI server components, see Configure a Tableau server connection in Data Catalog, or from Power BI server, see Configure a Power BI server connection in Data Catalog in the Administer Pentaho Data Catalog document. If required, you can also manually create BI server components using the following options available under Actions:
Add New BI Server
Create a placeholder BI server node manually. It represents a Tableau Server for Tableau and a Tenant or Environment for Power BI.
Helps simulate or mock BI hierarchy for testing, planning, or offline documentation.
Add New BI Folder
Add a new BI Folder to represent a Tableau Project. It represents a Project for Tableau and a Workspace or App for Power BI.
Organizes reports and datasets into logical units for better structure and governance.
Add New BI Report
Create a new Report component for a Tableau Workbook. It represents a Workbook for Tableau and a Report or Dashboard for Power BI.
Allows documentation of manually maintained or external workbooks not yet ingested.
Add New BI Report Page
Add a Report Page representing a Dashboard or Sheet. It represents a Dashboard or Sheet for Tableau and a Report Page for Power BI.
Helps describe layout-level details of dashboards for lineage and tagging.
Add New BI Chart
Insert a Chart component (visualization) under a Report Page. It represents a View for Tableau and a Visual or Tile for Power BI.
Enables tracking of individual visualizations for audit or sensitivity tagging.
Add New BI Report Attribute
Define a field or measure used in a chart. It represents a Field used in a View for Tableau and visual element information such as a field or measure for Power BI.
Allows classification and sensitivity tagging of fields used in visual analytics.
Add New BI Dataset
Create a node for a published Tableau Data Source. It represents a Published Data Source for Tableau and a Dataset for Power BI.
Enables independent governance and search of datasets reused across reports.
Add New BI Data Entity
Add a table or logical data object under a dataset. It represents a Table or Logical Table for Tableau and a Table for Power BI.
Useful for tracing report usage back to table-level lineage and ownership.
Add New BI Data Attribute
Define a column or field within a Data Entity. It represents a Column for Tableau and a Field for Power BI.
Allows data profiling, classification, and glossary term association at column level.
Add New BI Dataflow
Define a data flow manually. It represents Workbook Relationships or a Prep Flow for Tableau and a Dataflow for Power BI.
Helps document how data moves from sources to visualizations, supporting lineage.
View Table
View BI components in tabular format.
Enables sorting, filtering, and bulk metadata review or tagging.
View Galaxy
Visualize BI components and their relationships.
Helps users quickly understand dependencies and flow using an interactive map.
Import
Import metadata from an external file, like JSON Lines or Comma Separated Values (text/csv). For more information, see Import BI server components.
Brings in real-time metadata for accurate documentation and governance.
Export
Export BI metadata and hierarchy JSON Lines or Comma Separated Values (text/csv) file formats. For more information, see Import BI server components.
Supports metadata backup, transfer, or offline review and documentation.
To learn more about the options, see the Manage Business Intelligence components section in the Administer Pentaho Data Catalog document.
Business Intelligence (BI) server components content pane
You can view detailed information about the selected Business Intelligence (BI) server, like Tableau and Power BI server components, including metadata specific to the chosen component. For instance, when a report is selected, the content pane shows its associated metadata, where you can clearly understand the data attributes and context.
The following table identifies the key details available in the content pane for a BI server (like Tableau) component:
1
Data Banner
Shows the name, path, and type icon identifying the BI server and the selected component. This applies to Tableau and Power BI items such as folders, reports, datasets, data entities, charts, and fields. With these details, you can gain a clear understanding of the component's position within the hierarchy and its classification. The name and type attributes identifying the resource are provided.
2
Actions menu
Shows a menu of actionable options tailored to the selected BI server component type. You can perform tasks such as copying the component path (hierarchy) to reference the asset’s location or switching to a Galaxy view to visualize the data alternately. For more information, see Business Intelligence (BI) Galaxy view.
3
Summary tab
Provides detailed metadata for the selected component. For Tableau and Power BI, this can include definition, ratings, and properties such as Name, Source View Id, Created At, Updated At, Owner Name, Owner Site Role, Content Permissions, counts of child items, and Data Catalog audit fields like Created By and Last Updated. To learn more, see Business Intelligence (BI) hierarchy view.
Different views of Business Intelligence (BI) components
In the Business Intelligence section of Data Catalog, you can explore Business Intelligence (BI) server components from Tableau and Power BI, in multiple views to understand the structure and relationships between folders, reports, data sets, data attributes, and more, in a way that best suits your needs.
By default, Data Catalog displays BI server components in a hierarchical tree-structured format. This view organizes components, such as folders, reports, data sets, data attributes, and more, by following a clear parent-child relationship, enabling users to understand how different BI server components are interconnected. For more information, see Tableau server components and #Power BI server components.
You can also switch to Table View or Galaxy View by selecting the View Table or View Galaxy option from the Actions menu in the navigation pane. In the table view, you see BI server components presented in a tabular layout or a detailed, spreadsheet-like format, which helps you analyze, compare, and manage the components efficiently. In Galaxy view, you can visualize BI server components in a spatial format, where you can identify relationships and patterns between the components, making it ideal for gaining a broader, more interconnected perspective of BI server components.
Business Intelligence (BI) hierarchy view
In Data Catalog, you can configure Business Intelligence (BI) servers such as Tableau and Power BI and import their components into the Business Intelligence section. In the hierarchy view of the Business Intelligence page, you can manage them visually and intuitively. Additionally, you can sync BI server components and maintain their associated details, ensuring clarity and consistency in data-related discussions. The following options are available on the Business Intelligence page.
BI server component name
The name of the BI server component, such as folder, report, dataset, data entity, chart, or field, and more. With this, you can quickly identify and understand the specific BI server component you are working with. For example, a project in Tableau appears as a folder and workspace or app in Power BI appears as a folder.
Actions
The Actions menu with the following features:
Copy Path
Copies the hierarchical path of the BI server component for quick reference or to share it with others.
View Galaxy
Takes you to the Galaxy view of the selected BI server component. Here, you can see the BI server components and their related assets. See Business Intelligence (BI) components Galaxy view for more details.
Summary tab
Gives a summarized view of the selected BI server component. In the Summary tab, you can view the following information.
Note: The visible information depends on the BI server component you have selected.
Definition
Update with a custom description of the selected component that helps users understand its purpose, configuration, and role within their BI server.
Ratings
Highlights the popularity of the resource by providing the average rating of all users for the selected BI server component.
Properties
Shows the properties of the selected BI server component.
Name: Displays the name of the BI component (for example, Samples).
Source View Id: A unique identifier assigned by BI server to distinguish this component from others.
Created At: Indicates the date and time when the component was initially created in BI server.
Updated At: Shows the date and time when the component was last modified in BI server.
Owner Name: Specifies the BI server user who owns the component.
Owner Site Role: Represents the role assigned to the owner within the BI server (for example, SiteAdministratorCreator).
Content Permissions: Describes how access to the component is managed (for example, ManagedByOwner).
Project Count: Displays the number of sub-projects (if any) that exist under the current component.
Workbook Count: Indicates the total number of workbooks associated with the component.
View Count: Shows the number of views or sheets linked to this component.
Datasource Count: Represents the number of data sources connected to this BI component.
Created By: Displays the user who created the component metadata in Data Catalog.
Updated By: Indicates the user who last updated the component metadata in Data Catalog.
Last Updated: Shows the date and time when the component metadata was last modified in Data Catalog.
Sensitivity: Indicates the data sensitivity level assigned to the component (for example, UNKNOWN, PII, or Confidential).
Domain: Identifies the business domain the component belongs to (such as HR, Finance, or Sales).
Status: Displays the current metadata status in Data Catalog (such as Accepted, Draft, or Archived).
Style
Displays the icon and color associated with the BI server component, if any. Click Change to edit the associated icon or color.
Custom Properties tab
The Custom Properties tab displays additional metadata defined by your organization to capture business-specific attributes for BI components. Each property entry displays the Property Name, Description, Type, and Value. Custom properties allow you to capture business-specific details that are not part of the standard metadata model, such as project identifiers, cost centers, data sensitivity levels, or certification status. For more information, see Resource properties #Custom properties.
On the Custom Properties tab, you can view, add, or edit these properties based on your permissions. Each property includes a name, value, type, and description. To add a new property, click Add Property, specify the required details, and click Save. You can also edit or delete existing properties as needed. Each custom property added at the BI component level is immediately reflected in search results and becomes available for metadata-driven reporting across the catalog. For more information, see Manage custom propertiessection in the Administer Pentaho Data Catalog guide.
Business Terms tab
In the Business Terms tab, you can associate BI report components with relevant business terms. Associating business terms provides standardized definitions and context to the data elements used in the report, improving clarity and consistency across the organization. This tab displays the names of the associated glossary terms, their parent categories, and the owners responsible for maintaining them. You can also apply filters to narrow the list of terms.
To add a business term, click Add Terms and select the business term you want to associate with the BI report component. Once a term is added, a relationship is established between the business term and the report. To view additional information, click the term name to open it in separate view with a highlighted focus. If needed, you can click Delete to remove the association between the business term and the report. This action only removes the relationship, and it does not delete the business term from Data Catalog.
Policies tab
In the context of a BI report component, policies and standards define the governance rules that apply to the report. These policies may include data access restrictions, privacy guidelines, retention rules, or security requirements. In the Policies tab, you can explore policies linked to the report and view additional details, including the policy name, parent category, and owner. Associating policies with BI components helps communicate data governance requirements, reduce the risk of non-compliance, and promote responsible data use. You can also apply filters to refine the list.
On the Policies tab, you can view, apply, or remove policies as needed to support data governance objectives. To add a policy, click Add Policy and select the standard or policy you want to associate with the BI report component. Once added, a relationship is created between the policy and the report. If needed, click Delete to remove the association between the policy and the component. This action removes the link but does not delete the policy from Data Catalog.
Reference Data tab
In the Reference Data tab, you can view and manage reference data sets such as country codes, product hierarchies, or status lists associated with the BI report component. Using governed reference lists improves consistency in filters and calculations across reports and teams. Each entry in the list displays the Name, Parent, Status, and Version of the reference data set. These associations ensure that BI reports use standardized lookup values, such as country codes, product categories, or other controlled lists that help maintain consistency across reports and dashboards.
To add reference data, click Add Reference Data and select the data set you want to associate with the BI report component. After you add a data set, a relationship is created between the reference data and the report. You can filter the list to narrow the results. To view more information, click the reference data set name to open it in the Canvas view. If needed, click Delete to remove the association between the reference data and the report. This action removes only the relationship, and it does not delete the reference data set from Data Catalog.
Comment tab
The Comment tab is a collaborative feature that allows users to discuss and provide feedback on specific data assets within Data Catalog. You can add comments, share suggestions, or ask questions directly in the tab using the provided text box, which includes basic formatting options like bold, italic, and bullet points. In addition, you can tag other users by mentioning them with the "@" symbol followed by their username. Then the specific user, or users, are notified of the comment through email and in the Mentions tab on the Data Catalog landing page, prompting them to respond if necessary. For more information, see Tour of the Home page.
Note: In the Comment tab, you can:
Tag users who have been configured in Data Catalog.
Only delete the comments you posted.
Delete any comment if you are an admin.
Data Elements tab
In the Data Elements tab, you can view the data elements that are used in the BI report component, such as tables, folders, or fields from connected data sources. Each listed element displays details including the Data Source, Item Name, Item Type, Sensitivity, and any applied Tags.
Adding data elements and maintaining this mapping helps you trace where the report data originates, understand the report's structure, and evaluate data sensitivity or tagging requirements. This visibility improves data governance, enables impact analysis, and supports discovery across datasets and BI assets.
To add a new element, click Add Data Element, select the data source and items you want to associate, and click Add. Once added, the relationship between the BI report and the selected data elements appears in the list. To open an element and view more information, click the Item Name link to navigate to its detailed Data Canvas view. If needed, click Delete to remove the association between the data element and the report. This action removes only the relationship and does not delete the data element from Data Catalog.
Business Intelligence (BI) table view
In Data Catalog, the Business Intelligence (BI) components table view shows a structured, spreadsheet-like layout for browsing and managing BI server components from Tableau and Power BI. This view enhances the way you interact with the components. It provides a centralized overview to view all BI components, such as folders, reports, datasets, data attributes, and more, along with their associated metadata in a single unified interface. With this consolidated view, you can navigate easily and quickly search, sort, and filter through large volumes of BI components to locate the exact asset you need.
To access the Table View for BI server components, click Business Intelligence in the left navigation. Then, the Business Intelligence landing page appears. In the Navigation pane, click Actions and select View Table from the menu options. The BI server components table view appears, displaying all components in a grid layout for easier visibility and comparison.
The Business Intelligence Table View is organized into multiple tabs based on BI server component types:
All
Shows all BI components together in a single table. This view is useful for browsing, filtering, and managing multiple asset types.
BI Server
Shows Tableau server entries that are imported or manually added. Each entry represents a Tableau site.
BI Folder
Shows Tableau Projects, shown as BI Folders. Projects help organize workbooks and data sources within a Tableau site.
BI Report
Shows Tableau Workbooks, which contain dashboards and sheets. Each workbook is treated as a report in Data Catalog.
BI Report Page
Shows Tableau Dashboards or Sheets within a workbook. Each page represents a visual layout of charts and filters.
BI Chart
Shows individual visualizations within a report page. Charts include bar charts, pie charts, line graphs, and more.
BI Report Attribute
Shows the fields used in Tableau visualizations. These include dimensions, measures, and calculated fields.
BI Dataset
Shows Tableau Published Data Sources. These datasets are shared across multiple workbooks and dashboards.
BI Data Entity
Shows tables or logical data structures within a dataset. Each entity helps trace back to the data origin.
BI Data Attribute
Shows individual fields or columns within a data entity. You can classify or tag these fields for governance.
BI Dataflow
Shows Tableau Prep Flows or manually defined data flows. Data flows illustrate how data is transferred and transformed between components.
Each tab in the table view displays common and component-specific attributes in column format. The following table lists such attributes:
Name
The name of the BI asset, such as a report, chart, or dataset. You can click to view more details.
Type
Indicates the component type (for example, BI Chart, BI Report, BI Dataset).
Parent
The name of the parent component under which the current asset exists.
Created At
The timestamp when the component was initially created in the source BI tool.
Updated At
The timestamp when the component was last modified in the source BI tool.
Created By
The user who created the metadata entry in Data Catalog, if available.
Updated By
The user who last updated the metadata in Data Catalog.
Description
A user-provided summary describing the BI component’s purpose or context.
Last Sync
The most recent time the component’s metadata was synced with the BI Server.
Source Type
Specifies the origin or connection type of the BI asset (for example, live, extract).
URL
A link to open the component in the BI server, if available.
Partially Loaded
Indicates whether the metadata load was incomplete. Useful for debugging.
Location
The server or environment source location, if captured during metadata ingest.
Sub Entity Type
Represents the specific subtype of the component (for example, field type, view type).
Endorsement
Shows if the component is endorsed or certified by a data steward.
Sensitive
Indicates whether the asset contains sensitive data, such as personally identifiable information (PII) or protected health information (PHI).
Expression
Shows any formulas or calculations associated with the component.
Hidden
Marks whether the component is hidden in the source BI tool.
Visual Type
Describes the type of visualization (for example, bar chart, map, scatter plot).
Label
Displays any labels associated with the component for categorization.
Dataset Linked
Indicates whether the asset is connected to a known dataset.
Tags
Lists tags that have been applied to the asset for easier discovery and grouping.
In the Business Intelligence table view, each row displays an Edit and Delete icon. You can click the Edit icon to modify selected metadata fields. Editable fields include the component’s name, last sync time, source type, URL, location, expression, label, dataset linked, and tags. These fields help Data Catalog users enhance metadata quality, classify components, and maintain governance directly within the table interface. After making updates, you can save the changes by clicking the Save button that appears in the row.
In addition to editing, you can remove components by using the Delete icon, which is displayed in each row. Deleting a component permanently removes it from the catalog and its associated hierarchy, so this action should be performed with care.
Deleting a component permanently removes it from the Data Catalog. However, this change doesn’t reflect in the actual BI server.
Additionally, you can apply filters to refine the list and manage columns using the settings feature. You can also perform multiple actions in the table view. To learn more about the additional actions, see Manage Business Intelligence components section in the Administer Pentaho Data Catalog document.
Business Intelligence (BI) Galaxy view
In the Navigation pane, under Actions, selecting View Galaxy displays the Business Intelligence (BI) components in the Galaxy view. The Galaxy view shows a different visual layout that is useful for exploring relationships and connections among BI components. You can use the Galaxy view feature to quickly view the structure of the data and its details. This feature is handy when you want to view information that is not easily visualized using the navigation tree. When you open BI components in the Galaxy view, you can see the relationships in the data from a bird's eye view and drill down into the data for specific details. To learn more about Galaxy view and its available functions, see Galaxy View.
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