You can create a connected folder asset based on a path within an IBM Cloud Object Storage system that is accessed through a connection. You can view the files and subfolders that share the path with the connected folder asset. The files that you can view within the connected folder asset are not themselves data assets. For example, you can create a connected folder asset for a path that contains news feeds that are continuously updated.

Required roles

You must have the Editor or Admin role in the catalog to add a connected folder asset.

To add a connected folder asset from a connection to a catalog:

1. If necessary, create a connection asset. Include an Access Key and a Secret Key to your IBM Cloud Object Storage connection to enable the downloading of files within the connected folder asset. If you're using an existing IBM Cloud Object Storage connection asset that doesn't have an Access Key and Secret Key, edit the connection asset and add them. The Access Key and Secret Key are the HMAC credentials access_key_id and secret_key_id. You generate them in your IBM Cloud Object Storage credentials by adding the inline configuration parameter {"HMAC":true}. For more information, see IBM Cloud Object Storage Service credentials.
2. Click Add to catalog > Connected asset. You can also add mutliple assets from a CSV file as described in Adding and updating assets and asset metadata from CSV files to catalogs.
3. Click Select Source to select an existing connection asset as the source of the data.
4. Select the folder you want and click Add.
5. Specify the other asset properties.
6. Click Add. The asset appears on the catalog Browse page.

Watch this video to see how to add a connected folder asset to a catalog.

Click the connected folder asset name to view the contents of the connected folder asset. Click the eye icon next to a file name to preview the contents of the files within the folder that have these formats:

• CSV
• JSON
• Parquet

The files within the connected folder asset are not profiled because those files are not data assets.

You can specify a classification for the connected folder asset. The contents of the folder inherit the classification of the connected folder asset.

Data protection rules can block access to the connected folder asset and its contents, but files within the folder are not individually subject to data protection rules. For example, a data protection rule might mask personal information in all data assets in the catalog, but that rule does not apply to files within connected folder assets. Any personal information in those files is not masked.

You can download files from within the connected folder asset if the IBM Cloud Object Storage connection asset that's associated with the connected folder asset has an Access Key and a Secret Key (also known as HMAC credentials). For more information about HMAC credentials, see Using HMAC credentials.