A connection asset contains the information necessary to create a connection to a data source.

You can add connection assets to these data sources to a catalog. You must have Editor or Admin permissions in a catalog to add a connection asset.

Connection assets are automatically added when you publish data assets that require connections from a project to a catalog.

To add a connection asset:

1. Click Add to catalog > Connection.
2. Choose a data source. If you select an existing connection, the connections details are already available.
3. Enter the connection information required for your data source. Typically, you need to provide information like the host, port number, username, and password.
4. To connect to a database that is not externalized to the internet (for example, behind a firewall), see Securing connections.
5. If prompted, specify whether you want to use personal or shared credentials. You cannot change this option after you create the connection. The credentials type for the connection, either Personal or Shared, is set by the account owner on the Account page. The default setting is Shared.
   • Personal: With personal credentials, each user must specify their own credentials to access the connection. Each user's credentials are saved but are not shared with any other users. Use personal credentials instead of shared credentials to protect credentials. For example, if you use personal credentials and another user changes the connection properties (such as the hostname or port number), the credentials are invalidated to prevent malicious redirection.
   • Shared: With shared credentials, all users access the connection with the credentials that you provide.
6. Click Create.

After the connection asset appears on the Browse page, click its name to view and update it.

If you edit a connection asset and mark it as private, it has the following effects:

• Users who are not members of the connection asset can view the data previews of data assets that require the connection, but they can't use those data assets.
• Only members of the connection asset can add the data assets that require the connection to a project.