--- title: Metadata synchronization description: >- Review changes from technical sources with previews, snapshots, and configurable schedules without assuming active automation. audiencia: Data Engineer | Administrator | Data Steward | Data Owner roles: >- Data Engineer with technical.manage and technical scope; Administrator with global company scope modulo: Data Repositories and Technical Dictionary revision: '2026-10-19' section: administrar-tecnicamente order: 30 sources: - CONTEXT.md - ARCHITECTURE.md - TESTING_GUIDE.md - Modelodeobjetosyrelaciones.md - Módulosydependencias.md - 'Roles,capacidadesyalcance.md' locale: en --- # Metadata synchronization Metadata synchronization compares the available information with the documented state, prepares a **preview** of changes, and retains **versioned snapshots** for traceability. It detects tables and columns that have been created, modified, or deleted; review them as metadata changes, not as automatic governance decisions. Synchronization connects the Repository with the Technical Dictionary. It can make it easier to locate fields that need documentation or review existing associations, but it does not by itself create business definitions, responsible parties, taxonomy relationships, or controls. ## Before you start **Role.** Management is handled by the **Data Engineer** with `technical.manage` and active technical scope for the affected Repository. An **Administrator** can perform it across the entire company. Stewards and Owners are involved when a technical change needs business interpretation within their scope, but they cannot expand technical access on their own. **Module.** For an operation to be useful, **Data Repositories** and the **Technical Dictionary** must be enabled. If a module is disabled, GovFrame hides or limits the functionality, and the backend rejects operations that depend on it; disabling it does not automatically delete data already recorded. **Prerequisites.** A Repository must be registered, a compatible connector must be available, and access to that repository must be authorized. Confirm the company and technical scope before starting. Work with connection information managed securely; do not copy credentials, personal identifiers, or infrastructure details into synchronization notes. ## Recommended workflow 1. **Define the scope of the review.** Select the authorized Repository and verify its Domain or Subdomain context. This association makes impact easier to interpret, but does not replace associations between columns and Attributes. 2. **Request or review a preview.** Use the synchronization area to compare the metadata to be incorporated with the context already documented. The preview is the time to distinguish tables and columns that have been created, modified, or deleted, and to avoid accepting changes based on name similarity. 3. **Review the effect on the Technical Dictionary.** For each relevant change, check whether a documented field, associated Attribute, Quality Rule, Contract, or other recorded relationship exists. If there is no relationship, record its absence and coordinate its review; do not infer a dependency because items share a Domain or name. 4. **Preserve traceability.** Versioned snapshots make it possible to compare metadata states and track the source's evolution. Use them as technical evidence of what was observed; they are not equivalent to quality certification or business approval. 5. **Configure or review the available schedule.** The model supports **manual, daily, weekly, or monthly** synchronization. The effective schedule and automation depend on the company's configuration and the authorized execution environment. Recording a frequency does not allow you to assume that a production job is enabled, that a scan has run, or that a source is accessible at that moment. > **Synthetic example.** A preview of the “Order Operations” Repository reports a new column in the orders table and a modification to another column. The Data Engineer reviews the snapshot and requests functional validation before associating the new column with the “Order Channel” Attribute. If there is no evidence of equivalence, the field may remain without a documented association. ## Interpreting the result A reviewed synchronization provides a snapshot history and a view of technical changes that helps prioritize documentation work. In the relationship map, the technical detail makes it possible to trace the link between an Attribute, a Dictionary Field, and a Repository when it has already been recorded. The presence of a Repository or a table does not by itself demonstrate that all fields are documented; nor should a missing link be filled in with an estimated relationship. When a Quality Rule requires SQL, the technical workflow is stricter: a physical field must be associated and a dialect must be configured. The SQL generation result does not promise automatic execution of that query or a scheduled scan of the source. ## Expected result At the end, the team has a reviewed preview or a versioned snapshot of the Repository, with technical changes identified and association decisions pending or confirmed according to the available evidence. If the company configured a schedule and the authorized environment runs it, the schedule is expressed as one of the supported cadences without becoming a guarantee of execution. ## Current-state limitations - Synchronization respects company isolation, the enabled module, capability, and technical scope; it does not allow access to other Repositories to be expanded. - Snapshots and schedules are operational metadata information. They do not replace business definitions, responsibilities, or approval decisions. - Change detection is limited to the documented metadata of tables and columns that have been created, modified, or deleted; it must not be presented as an independent inventory of Risks or Controls. - Governance controls are represented by existing objects, such as Quality Rules, Policies or Procedures, Workflows, tasks, approvals, classifications, or certifications, as applicable. ## Related references - [Object model and relationships](/en/explicaciones/modelo-de-objetos-y-relaciones/) - [How to read the relationship map](/en/guias/como-leer-mapa-de-relaciones/) - [Roles, capabilities, and scope](/en/referencia/roles-capacidades-y-alcance/) - [Modules and dependencies](/en/referencia/modulos-y-dependencias/)