Managing connection profiles
This topic describes how to create and manage connection profiles in Validata. Connection profiles are reusable configurations that define access parameters for various data systems, enabling secure connections to source and target datasets without embedding credentials in validation setups.
About connection profiles
In Validata, connection profiles specify the details required to connect to datasets, including endpoints, authentication credentials, and system-specific parameters. These profiles are referenced in validation configurations to define the source, which serves as the trusted reference dataset, and the target, which is the dataset under comparison.
The supported data systems align with common enterprise environments. For relational databases and data warehouses, tables represent the logical unit.
Benefits of using connection profiles
Connection profiles provide the following benefits:
System-agnostic reusability — Define a profile for a specific data system and reuse it across multiple validations to ensure consistent access regardless of the dataset type.
Enhanced security — Credentials are stored encrypted, supporting system-specific authentication mechanisms such as IAM roles for cloud data warehouses or OAuth for relational systems.
Simplified management — Centralize updates so that changes to a profile automatically apply to all linked validations.
Prerequisites
Before creating connection profiles, ensure the following requirements are met:
Validata access with permissions to create connections.
Network connectivity established, such as firewall rules for relational databases and data warehouses.
Read access granted to the datasets being validated.
System-specific drivers or libraries are automatically handled in the Validata console.
Creating a connection profile
To create a connection profile:
Navigate to the Connections section in the Validata console.
Select the data system type, such as relational database or data warehouse.
Enter system-specific parameters.
Test the connection.
Save the profile with a descriptive name for reference in validations.
Parameters vary by data system. For relational databases and data warehouses, key parameters include:
Host — The server endpoint.
Port — The connection port.
Database or schema name — The target database or schema.
Username and password — Encrypted authentication credentials.
Additional settings — JDBC URL, SSL configurations, or other system-specific options.
For detailed parameters and configuration examples, see the data system-specific topics in this chapter.
Using connection profiles in validations
When creating a validation configuration:
Select profiles for the source and target, such as an Oracle profile for the source and a Snowflake profile for the target.
Map objects such as tables between the source and target systems.
Define field pairs for comparison. Profiles fetch schema metadata, such as columns in tables, to assist with mapping.
For heterogeneous setups, profiles handle mapping differences, such as comparing relational tables to data warehouse tables.
During validation runs, profiles establish connections to query datasets, for example scanning tables in relational systems or data warehouses. Validata supports scheduled or one-time runs with minimal impact through read-only access.
If discrepancies are found, such as missing records in a data warehouse target, profiles enable the generation of reconciliation scripts tailored to the system, such as SQL for databases and data warehouses.
Once a user has set up a connection profile, all Validations associated with that connection profile are visible.
Updating connection profiles
When you update a connection profile, changes automatically apply to all validations that reference that profile. This centralized management approach ensures consistent access parameters across your validation configurations.
To update a connection profile:
Navigate to the Connections section in the Validata console.
Select the connection profile to modify.
Update the required parameters.
Test the connection to verify the changes.
Save the updated profile.
Authentication methods for supported data systems
The following table lists the authentication methods supported by each data system. For detailed configuration instructions, see the connection profile topic for each data system.
Data system | Supported authentication methods |
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