Alation
Alation is an online metadata management tool available to UT Austin faculty and staff. It operates on a cloud-based, vendor-supported, enterprise platform and includes a catalog of data sources, visualizations, and documentation that support the informed use of data, such as glossaries, articles, and policies. Users can cross-reference definitions, flag quality issues, and crowdsource knowledge about campus data assets.
Alation provides a central location to manage metadata and ensures that users of our campus analytics dashboards and data spokes have access to supporting context, definitions, and other information to make those resources as clear and useful as possible. This tool:
- Establishes a central and accessible metadata repository.
- Provides a common understanding of campus data sources, definitions, and uses.
- Assists in minimizing duplicative work and improves efficiencies.
Alation Roles
- Viewers can view parts of the catalog to which they have been granted access and can participate in conversations. UT Austin has an unlimited number of Viewer licenses, available at no cost.
- Creators (any role above Viewer) have the ability to edit, use, and customize the catalog based on their specific campus role. UT Austin has a limited number of Creator licenses available to data stewards, data spoke users, and others who are actively curating information in Alation.
Alation FAQs
Who is Alation for?
Alation is a campus-wide online resource accessible to all current UT Austin faculty and staff.
Who can see metadata in Alation?
Metadata about data resources and documentation that are finalized and in production are available to all Alation users. Data stewards, spoke users, and other analysts may be granted access to data resources that are in development. This open availability philosophy allows users to see a breadth of metadata, so that if they need to request specific data access, they have the context to do so in an informed way.
How do I access Alation?
Visit the UT Austin Alation instance. You will be redirected to a single sign on (SSO) login page where you will use your UT Austin EID and password to access the site.
How do I upgrade my role or my access?
If you believe you should have a greater degree of access to the catalog, please contact D2I’s Alation Team at Alation-Help@austin.utexas.edu.
Is Alation training available?
Yes. D2I hosts regular user demos, office hours, and other trainings. Details on these can be found on the home page of the UT Austin Alation instance. Additionally, D2I produces short orientation videos available in the D2I Training Library.
Alation also provides free training videos and other resources through Alation University. Use your UT Austin e-mail address to create an account at the Alation Help Center to access their free resources.