Getting started with Azure Data Catalog

  • Article

Today at the World Wide Partner Conference, we officially announced public preview of the Azure Data Catalog. A fully managed service in the cloud that empowers any user from data scientist and data developer to data analyst to register, enrich, discover, understand and consume enterprise-wide data sources.

This article describes how you get started using the Data Catalog.

Already using Azure Services?

If you are already using Azure, your organization has enabled Azure Active Directory and you have an Azure Subscription you can get up and running on the Data Catalog in minutes.

Simply go to https://www.azuredatacatalog.com/: Select an existing Azure Subscription, select a Catalog Location, select an Edition, add Users, add Administrators and choose Create Catalog.

You are all set ready to register your first data assets!

New to Azure?

If you and your organization is new to Azure there are a few things you need to take care of before you can set up the Data Catalog. Please see details on prerequisites below.

Prerequisites

  • Azure Active Directory

Data Catalog uses Azure Active Directory for identity and access management. This means that before you can provision your Data Catalog you must make sure Azure Active Directory is enabled for your organization and that any user who should be authenticated for using the Data Catalog must exist as an entity in the Azure Data Directory.

Microsoft Accounts (aka Live ID) are not supported. Only work accounts backend by Azure Active Directory can be authenticated.

If your organization is already using Office 365, Windows Intune or other Azure services where you have a subscription that is already associated to your work account, then you already have an Azure Active Directory.

To get started with Azure click here, where you with a free Azure trial can get access to Azure Active Directory

  • An Azure subscription

Since Data Catalog is a fully managed service in Azure, an Azure subscription is required in order for you to sign-up for the services. During sign-up and provisioning of the Data Catalog you will be asked to specify a Subscription which we then the associated with your Data Catalog.

Again, if you are already using an existing Azure Service you likely already have a subscription. To get started with an Azure subscription click here. It will take just a couple of minutes to get going.

NOTE:

  • The individual that initially signs up for the Data Catalog and provisions the service needs to be an admin or a co-admin to the particular subscription that will be used.

  • The individual that initially signs up for the Data Catalog and provisions the service will automatically become administrator for the Data Catalog. Ownership can be modified later and additional administrators can be assigned at any time.

With Azure Active Directory enabled, and an active subscription created - you too are ready to get started using the Data Catalog.

Simply go to https://www.azuredatacatalog.com/: Select an existing Azure Subscription, select a Catalog Location, select an Edition, add Users, add Administrators and choose Create Catalog.

To learn more about the Data Catalog go to https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/services/data-catalog

Enjoy!