Business and technical metadata: classification and lineage
The four data classification metadata fields, their default values, permissions, API names and upload and download rules; field Description and Help Text as a business dictionary; entity lineage and object tiering; and Schema Builder and FieldDefinition as technical metadata sources.
Compare and contrast various techniques, approaches and considerations for capturing and managing business and technical metadata (for example, business dictionary, data lineage, taxonomy, data classification).
~7 min read · 13 practice questions ·
What the exam expects
- Pick the right data classification field for a requirement (regulation, sensitivity, owner, in-use status) and know how to customize its values.
- Get classification metadata in and out: Object Manager, the upload and download tools, the Metadata API and FieldDefinition queries, including the User and person account exceptions.
- Build a lightweight business dictionary with field Description and Help Text.
- Document lineage per entity (source of truth, create/edit/delete path, owner and steward) and design history so values can be traced.
- Apply an object tiering taxonomy and use Schema Builder for technical metadata.
Key terms: data classification (four field-level metadata fields about a field's data); business dictionary (agreed definitions of each field); data lineage (where data comes from and how it changes); taxonomy / object tiering (grouping objects by how tightly their metadata is controlled); technical metadata (structure: objects, relationships, required fields).
Key facts
- Detail
- Customize Application or Modify Data Classification
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- All editions; enabled automatically in all orgs
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- Public, Internal, Confidential, Restricted, MissionCritical
- Detail
- Active, DeprecateCandidate, Hidden
- Detail
- Edited only via FieldBusinessStatus StandardValueSet
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- Up to 10,000 rows
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- Up to 5 MB; only fields with a sensitivity value
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- Admin-only; not on record pages
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- Formula, roll-up summary, auto-number, long text, multiselect
- Why does a steward who only maintains classification values not need Customize Application?
- When should a definition go in Help Text instead of Description?
- Why can email fields show Confidential when nobody set them?
- Which object tier keeps metadata locked down by IT?
The questions are free to read. Answers with their sources and self-grading are included with the pack.
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