Network Map
An important feature of the Data Catalogue is the Network Map that allows users to view relationships between entities. When you go into the Network Map of a selected entity it will map out all its connected entities with the option to display in Network Map View or Hierarchical Diagram view.
The Hierarchical Diagram provides a structured view of your entities and can be accessed from the button at the top of the map beside the Network Map Button. This view helps to understand the actual flow of the data for the efficient reading of every step.
The Network Map is free-flowing and provides a view displaying entities branching out freely and spaced out where your data doesn’t need to be structured or flow in one direction.
Single Direction Flow
Single Direction Flow will only display entities with a consistent direction to or from the selected entity. This means that only entities that directly affect or are directly affected by the selected entity are shown in the map.
This is the default flow when viewing the Network Map in the Data Catalogue. If you prefer to see all entities related to the selected entity no matter its relationship, use Multidirectional Flow.
Multidirectional Flow
Network Maps or Hierarchical Diagrams can be viewed with a Multidirectional Flow that displays an entity’s relationships in each direction. All entities related to the selected entity will be shown.
Below is an image that displays the location of the Single Direction Flow and Multidirectional Flow buttons. To view your map with your preferred direction of relationships, just click on the buttons at the top of your map.
Focus a Direct Entity Path
When a user clicks on an entity (except for the entity that generated the Network Map) it will focus a path that highlights the entities that are directly related to the selected entity, while the remaining network is faded out.
Click on close to hide this panel and bring all entities into focus.
Move and Pin Entities
In both these Maps you can drag and pin entities to your preferred location on the map and the pinned entity will have a dashed line to show that it is pinned. If you then double click on a pinned entity you will unpin it.
Scale the Map to Available Map Space
Scaling the Network Map is convenient when there are intersecting entity relationships and users want to distribute their entities across the available space.
Click the Scale button if the map already has available space on its sides.
Otherwise click the Zoom Out button and then click onto the Scale button.
Depth Slider
The Depth Slider will adjust the number of relationships users can see on the map. This is for when users want to only see direct immediate relationships. The maximum depth will be limited by the amount of relationships linked to your selected Entity.
Custom Attributes in Maps
Users can click onto an entity to select it and bring across a panel that displays all the Custom Attributes attached to this entity.
Administrators and Data Stewards can also edit these attached attributes using this panel for changes to a single entity.
The panel will initially display as semi-transparent so it does not hide part of the map, but it will turn opaque when the mouse hovers over it.
Click on Close to hide this panel and deselect the entity.
Reset and Search the Data Catalogue
Reset pins, scale and zoom changes made to the Network Map by clicking the Reset button.
If you have changed Entity Network Maps via the in-map button, click the Back button to go back to the initial Network Map or Entity Board.
How to Find Network Maps
You can access the network map of an entity by;
- Clicking on the network map beside it in List View
- Clicking on the network map option on the bottom right in Card View
Jumping from Network Map to Network Map
To go from one Network Map to another, click on the Entity of the next Network map you want to view.
In this panel that is now displayed click on the Network Map button and it will display the next Network Map.
To return to the previous Network Map, click Back at the top right of the page.
