Connectors establish the link to a technical source; data repositories provide that source with a governable context within GovFrame. Separating these concepts helps document not only where information resides, but also which business Domain it represents, who can administer it, and which metadata or technical fields belong to it.
A repository can represent a database or an analytical or operational platform. It can be related to Domains or Subdomains and retain an Entity reference for compatibility or inherited context. That relationship does not automatically associate the source's tables or columns with the taxonomy.
Before you begin
Role. This operation is for the Data Engineer with the technical.manage capability and active technical scope on the repository. The Administrator can operate with global scope within the company. Data Stewards and Data Owners contribute business meaning, but do not replace technical authorization.
Module. Data Repositories must be enabled. If the module is disabled, the function cannot be operated and the backend rejects its procedures; data already registered is not automatically deleted as a result of that change.
Prerequisites. Confirm that you are working in the correct company, that an authorized membership exists, and that you know the source's purpose, owner, and scope. Gather only connection data approved by the organization; credentials must be managed through the platform's secure mechanism, never in descriptions, comments, or business documentation.
The current model supports connectors for PostgreSQL, BigQuery, SingleStore, and Power BI Service. A source not on this list must not be presented as compatible without a documented product extension.
Recommended workflow
- Define the repository's scope. Identify the technical source and its function: operational, analytical, or another approved purpose. Relate it to the Domains or Subdomains that provide its actual business context. Avoid using a broad association as a substitute for classifying each field.
- Register the authorized connector. Select a supported connector type and provide the required information using the available controls. This is a functional guide: the interface may vary, and no specific form or sequence of screens is assumed.
- Assign technical administration. Confirm that the responsible Data Engineers have active scope on that repository. The role alone does not grant access to all repositories in the tenant.
- Check the configuration without exposing secrets. The platform protects credentials and does not return them to the client. Connector validation must comply with network controls: disallowed destinations are blocked, and TLS verification is required by default. Do not attempt to bypass these controls or reuse access data outside the approved context.
- Connect the repository to governance. Once metadata is available, review the fields that should be documented in the Technical Dictionary and associate them with Attributes only when a verifiable physical correspondence exists. Stewards and Owners can enrich business definitions and descriptions within their scope.
Illustrative example. A repository called “Sales Analytics” can be linked to the Sales Domain and the Orders Subdomain. The physical orders table is not thereby automatically associated with the Order Entity, nor is each column associated with an Attribute: those relationships are recorded and reviewed separately in the Technical Dictionary.
Security, scope, and traceability
Each connector, repository, and technical relationship belongs to a company. GovFrame obtains the company context from the session and applies membership, module, capability, and scope controls before allowing an operation. Changing parameters in the browser does not expand access or allow data from another company to be queried.
The platform retains the configuration needed to operate connections and protected references; GovFrame should not be used as a secrets inventory. Keep credential values, personal identifiers, and infrastructure details out of public records. Connector tests and validations must avoid opening client connections or performing actual exploration without specific authorization.
Expected outcome
At the end, there should be a repository with an understandable purpose and taxonomy context, connected through a supported type and administrable only by people with technical scope. The repository is ready to receive or contextualize metadata and to link physical fields to Attributes when the relationship has been confirmed. It can also be related to an information System, Products, or Contracts through the applicable associations.
Current-state limitations
- A repository can span several business scopes, but that association does not imply a column-to-attribute relationship.
- The Technical Dictionary depends on a registered Repository; enabling both modules is necessary for useful technical documentation.
- Modules control visibility and operations by company. Reactivating them restores availability subject to roles, scope, and data state.
- Risks and Controls are not independent catalogs in the current model. A control can be documented, as appropriate, as a Quality Rule, Policy or Procedure, Workflow, task, approval, classification, or certification.