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Google Cloud Storage

Adding and configuring Google Cloud Storage connection within Qualytics empowers the platform to build a symbolic link with your file system to perform operations like data discovery, visualization, reporting, cataloging, profiling, scanning, anomaly surveillance, and more.

This documentation provides a step-by-step guide on how to add Google Cloud Storage as both a source and enrichment datastore in Qualytics. It covers the entire process, from initial connection setup to testing and finalizing the configuration.

By following these instructions, enterprises can ensure their Google Cloud Storage environment is properly connected with Qualytics, unlocking the platform's potential to help you proactively manage your full data quality lifecycle.

Let’s get started 🚀

Google Cloud Storage Setup Guide

This guide will walk you through the steps to set up Google Cloud Storage, including how to retrieve the necessary URIs, access keys, and secret keys, which are essential for integrating this datastore into Qualytics.

Retrieve Google Cloud Storage URI

To retrieve the Cloud Cloud Storage URI follow the given steps:

  1. Go to the Cloud Storage Console.
  2. Navigate to the location of the object (file) that holds the source data.
  3. At the top of the Cloud Storage console, locate and note down the path to the object.
  4. Create the URI using the following format: 
gs://bucket/file

  • bucket is the name of the Cloud Storage bucket.

  • file is the name of the object (file) containing the data.

Retrieve the Access Key and Secret Key

You need these keys when integrating Google Cloud Storage with other applications or services, such as when adding it as a datastore in Qualytics. The keys allow you to reuse existing code to access Google Cloud Storage without needing to implement a different authentication mechanism.

To retrieve the access key and secret key in the Google Cloud Storage Console account, follow the given steps:

Step 1: Log in to the Google Cloud Console, navigate to the Google Cloud Storage settings, and this will redirect you to the Settings page.

navigate-to-gcs

Step 2: Click on the Interoperability tab.

interoperability-tab

Step 3: Scroll down the Interoperability page and under Access keys for your user account, click the CREATE A KEY button to generate a new Access Key and Secret Key.

create-a-key

Step 4: Use these generated Access Key and Secret Key values when adding your Google Cloud Storage account to SimpleBackups.

generate-keys

For example, once you generate the keys, they might look like this:

  • Access Key: GOOG1234ABCDEFGH5678

  • Secret Key: abcd1234efgh5678ijklmnopqrstuvwx

Warning

Make sure to store these keys securely, as they provide access to your Google Cloud Storage resources.

Add a Source Datastore

A source datastore is a storage location used to connect and access data from external sources. Google Cloud Storage is an example of a source datastore, specifically a type of Distributed File System (DFS) datastore that is designed to handle data stored in distributed file systems. Configuring a DFS datastore enables the Qualytics platform to access and perform operations on the data, thereby generating valuable insights.

Step 1: Log in to your Qualytics account and click on the Add Source Datastore button located at the top-right corner of the interface.

add-datastore add-datastore

Step 2: A modal window- Add Datastore will appear, providing you with the options to connect a datastore.

select-a-connector select-a-connector

REF. FIELDS ACTIONS
1️. Name (Required) Specify the name of the datastore (e.g., The specified name will appear on the datastore cards)
2️. Toggle Button Toggle ON to reuse credentials from an existing connection, or toggle OFF to create a new source datastore from scratch.
3️. Connector (Required) Select Google Cloud Storage from the dropdown list.

Option I: Create a Datastore with a new Connection

If the toggle for Use an existing connection is turned off, then this will prompt you to add and configure the source datastore from scratch without using existing connection details.

Step 1: Select the Google Cloud Storage connector from the dropdown list and add connection details such as URI, service account key, root path, and teams.

add-datastore-credentials add-datastore-credentials

Step 2: The configuration form will expand, requesting credential details before establishing the connection.

add-datastore-credentials-explain add-datastore-credentials-explain

REF. FIELDS ACTIONS
1️. URI (Required) Enter the Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) of the Google Cloud Storage.
2️. Service Account Key (Required) Upload a JSON file that contains the credentials required for accessing the Google Cloud Storage.
3️. Root Path (Required) Specify the root path where the data is stored.
4️. Teams (Required) Select one or more teams from the dropdown to associate with this source datastore.
5️. Initiate Cataloging (Optional) Tick the checkbox to automatically perform catalog operation on the configured source datastore to gather data structures and corresponding metadata.

Step 3: After adding the source datastore details, click on the Test Connection button to check and verify its connection.

test-datastore-connection test-datastore-connection

If the credentials and provided details are verified, a success message will be displayed indicating that the connection has been verified.

Option II: Use an Existing Connection

If the toggle for Use an existing connection is turned on, then this will prompt you to configure the source datastore using the existing connection details.

Step 1: Select a connection to reuse existing credentials.

use-existing-datastore use-existing-datastore

Note

If you are using existing credentials, you can only edit the details such as Root Path, Teams, and Initiate Cataloging.

Step 2: Click on the Test Connection button to check and verify the source data connection. If connection details are verified, a success message will be displayed.

test-connection-for-existing-datastore test-connection-for-existing-datastore

Note

Clicking on the Finish button will create the source datastore and bypass the enrichment datastore configuration step.

Tip

It is recommended to click on the Next button, which will take you to the enrichment datastore configuration page.

Add Enrichment Datastore

Once you have successfully tested and verified your source datastore connection, you have the option to add the enrichment datastore (recommended). This datastore is used to store the analyzed results, including any anomalies and additional metadata files. This setup provides full visibility into your data quality, helping you manage and improve it effectively.

Step 1: Whether you have added a source datastore by creating a new datastore connection or using an existing connection, click on the Next button to start adding the Enrichment Datastore.

next-button-for-enrichment next-button-for-enrichment

Step 2: A modal window- Add Enrichment Datastore will appear, providing you with the options to configure to add an enrichment datastore.

select-enrichment-connector select-enrichment-connector

REF. FIELDS ACTIONS
1️. Prefix (Required) Add a prefix name to uniquely identify tables/files when Qualytics writes metadata from the source datastore to your enrichment datastore.
2️. Toggle Button for existing enrichment datastore Toggle ON to link the source datastore to an existing enrichment datastore, or toggle OFF to link it to a brand new enrichment datastore.
3️. Name (Required) Give a name for the enrichment datastore
4️. Toggle Button for using an existing connection Toggle ON to reuse credentials from an existing connection, or toggle OFF to create a new enrichment from scratch.
5️. Connector (Required) Select a datastore connector as Google Cloud Storage from the dropdown list.

Option I: Create an Enrichment Datastore with a new Connection

If the toggles for Use an existing enrichment datastore and Use an existing connection are turned off, then this will prompt you to add and configure the enrichment datastore from scratch without using an existing enrichment datastore and its connection details.

Step 1: Add connection details for your selected enrichment datastore connector.

enrichment-datastore-explain enrichment-datastore-explain

REF. FIELDS ACTIONS
1️. URI (Required) Enter the Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) for the Google Cloud Storage.
2️. Service Account Key (Required) Upload a JSON file that contains the credentials required for accessing the Google Cloud Storage.
3️. Root Path (Required) Specify the root path where the data is stored.
4️. Teams (Required) Select one or more teams from the dropdown to associate with this source datastore.

Step 2: Click on the Test Connection button to verify the selected enrichment datastore connection. If the connection is verified, a flash message will indicate that the connection with the datastore has been successfully verified.

test-connection-for-enrichment-datastore test-connection-for-enrichment-datastore

Step 3: Click on the Finish button to complete the configuration process.

finish-configuration finish-configuration

When the configuration process is finished, a modal will display a success message indicating that your datastore has been successfully added.

success-message success-message

Step 4: Close the Success dialog and the page will automatically redirect you to the Source Datastore Details page where you can perform data operations on your configured source datastore.

data-operation-page data-operation-page

Option II: Use an Existing Connection

If the toggle for Use an existing enrichment datastore is turned on, you will be prompted to configure the enrichment datastore using existing connection details.

Step 1: Add a prefix name and select an existing enrichment datastore from the dropdown list.

select-existing-enrichment-datastore select-existing-enrichment-datastore

REF. FIELDS ACTIONS
1️. Prefix (Required) Add a prefix name to uniquely identify tables/files when Qualytics writes metadata from the source datastore to your enrichment datastore.
2️. Toggle Button for existing enrichment datastore Toggle ON to link the source datastore to an existing enrichment datastore.
3️. Enrichment Datastore (Required) Select an enrichment datastore from the dropdown list.

Step 2: After selecting an existing enrichment datastore connection, you will view the following details related to the selected enrichment:

  • Teams: The team associated with managing the enrichment datastore is based on the role of public or private. Example- Marked as Public means that this datastore is accessible to all the users.

  • URI: Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) points to the specific location of the source data and should be formatted accordingly (e.g., gs://bucket/file for Google Cloud Storage).

  • Root Path: Specify the root path where the data is stored. This path defines the base directory or folder from which all data operations will be performed.

use-existing-enrichment-datastore use-existing-enrichment-datastore

Step 3: Click on the Finish button to complete the configuration process for the existing enrichment datastore.

finish-configuration-for-existing-enrichment-datastore finish-configuration-for-existing-enrichment-datastore

When the configuration process is finished, a modal will display a success message indicating that your datastore has been successfully added.

success-message success-message

Close the success message and you will be automatically redirected to the Source Datastore Details page where you can perform data operations on your configured source datastore.

data-operation-page data-operation-page

API Payload Examples

This section provides detailed examples of API payloads to guide you through the process of creating and managing datastores using Qualytics API. Each example includes endpoint details, sample payloads, and instructions on how to replace placeholder values with actual data relevant to your setup.

Creating a Source Datastore

This section provides sample payloads for creating the Google Cloud Storage datastore. Replace the placeholder values with actual data relevant to your setup.

Endpoint: /api/datastores (post)

        {
        "name": "your_datastore_name",
        "teams": ["Public"],
        "trigger_catalog": true,
        "root_path": "/gcs_root_path",
        "enrich_only": false,
        "connection": {
            "name": "your_connection_name",
            "type": "gcs",
            "uri": "gs://<bucket_name>",
            "secret_key": "gcs_service_account_key"
        }
    }

   {
        "name": "your_datastore_name",
        "teams": ["Public"],
        "trigger_catalog": true,
        "root_path": "/gcs_root_path",
        "enrich_only": false,
        "connection_id": connection-id
    }

Creating an Enrichment Datastore

This section provides sample payloads for creating an enrichment datastore. Replace the placeholder values with actual data relevant to your setup.

Endpoint: /api/datastores (post)

    {
        "name": "your_datastore_name",
        "teams": ["Public"],
        "trigger_catalog": true,
        "root_path": "/gcs_root_path",
        "enrich_only": true,
        "connection": {
            "name": "your_connection_name",
            "type": "gcs",
            "uri": "gs://<bucket_name>",
            "secret_key": "gcs_service_account_key"
        }
    }

    {
        "name": "your_datastore_name",
        "teams": ["Public"],
        "trigger_catalog": true,
        "root_path": "/gcs_root_path",
        "enrich_only": true,
        "connection_id": connection-id
    }

Use the provided endpoint to link an enrichment datastore to a source datastore:

Endpoint Details: /api/datastores/{datastore-id}/enrichment/{enrichment-id} (patch)