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Commit 0799373c authored by Maz Ameli's avatar Maz Ameli
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Finish off updates to Admin Guide.

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......@@ -46,8 +46,12 @@ To delete a database from Metabase, click on **Remove this database** from the d
![databaseconnection](images/DatabaseConnection.png)
Hovering over the database row in the list of databases connected to your account and clicking the red **Delete** button will also delete a database.
You can also delete a database from the database list: hover over the row with the database you want to remove and click the **Delete** button that appears.
![deletedatabasebutton](images/DatabaseDeleteButton.png)
**Caution: Deleting a database is irreversible! All saved questions and dashboard cards based on the database will be deleted too.**
**Caution: Deleting a database is irreversible! All saved questions and dashboard cards based on the database will be deleted as well!**
---
## Next: enabling features that send email
Metabase can send emails for certain features, like email invites, but first you need to [set up an email account](02-setting-up-email.md).
##Setting up Email
## Setting up Email
---
Once you connect your database to Metabase, you'll want to configure an email account to send system notifications to your organization's users. Metabase uses email to reset passwords, onboard new users, and notify you when something happens.
###Configuring your Email Account
For Metabase to send and receive messages to your organization's users, you'll need to set up an email account to send emails via SMTP (*SMTP* stands for simple mail transfer protocol and is an email standard used that secures emails with SSL security protection).
### Configuring your Email Account
![heemailcredentials](images/EmailCredentials.png)
For Metabase to send and receive messages to your organization's users, you'll need to set up an email account to send emails via *SMTP* (simple mail transfer protocol), which is an email standard that secures emails with SSL security protection.
**If you use Google Apps:**
To start, go to the Admin Panel from the dropdown menu in the top right of Metabase, then from the Settings page, click on **Email** in the left menu.
* Enter the email address you would like to be used as the sender of system notifications in the
* In the **SMTP host** field, enter [smtp.gmail.com](smtp.gmail.com)
* Enter your Google Apps password in the **SMTP password** field
* Fill in `465` for the **SMTP port** field
* For the **SMTP secure connection protocol** field, enter *TLS*
* In the **SMTP username** field, enter your Google Apps email address (e.g. hello@yourdomain.com)
You should see this form:
![Email Credentials](images/EmailCredentials.png)
**If you use SES:**
**If you use Google Apps:**
* In the **SMTP host** field, enter smtp.gmail.com
* Fill in 465 for the **SMTP port** field
* For the **SMTP Security** field, enter **TLS**
* In the **SMTP username** field, enter your Google Apps email address (e.g. hello@yourdomain.com)
* Enter your Google Apps password in the **SMTP password** field
* Enter the email address you would like to be used as the sender of system notifications in the **From Address* field.
* Log onto [https://console.aws.amazon.com/ses](https://console.aws.amazon.com/ses).
**If you use Amazon SES:**
* Log on to [https://console.aws.amazon.com/ses](https://console.aws.amazon.com/ses).
* Click **SMTP Settings** from the navigation pane.
* Select **Create My SMTP Credentials** in the content pane.
* Create a user in the **Create User for SMTP** dialogy box and then click **Create**.
* Afterwards select **Show User SMTP Credentials** to view the user's SMTP credentials.
* Create a user in the **Create User for SMTP** dialog box and then click **Create**.
* Next, select **Show User SMTP Credentials** to view the user's SMTP credentials.
* Go back to the Metabase Admin Panel form and enter the info there.
**If you use Mandrill:**
* Locate your credentials from the **SMTP & API Info** page from your Mandrill account.
* Your SMTP password is any active API key for your account-*not* your Mandrill password.
* Log in to your Mandrill account and locate your credentials from the **SMTP & API Info** page there.
* Your SMTP password is any active API key for your account — *not* your Mandrill password.
* Although Mandrill lists **port 587**, [any port supported by Mandrill](https://mandrill.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/205582167-What-SMTP-ports-can-I-use-) will work for SMTP email.
* Now you can go back to the Metabase Admin Panel form and enter the info there.
**No matter what email provider you use,**
**No matter which email provider you use,**
* SSL is strongly recommended because it’s more secure and gives your account extra protection from threats.
* If your email service has a whitelist of email addresses that are allowed to send email, be sure to whitelist the email address that you put in the **From Address** field to ensure you and your teammates receive all emails from Metabase.
* SSL is preferred because it is more secure and gives your account exta security and protection from threats.
* If your email service has a whitelist of email addresses that are allowed to send email, be sure to add the "Sender of System Notifications" setting to a whitelisted email address to ensure you receive all messages from Metabase.
---
## Next: editing your metadata
Taking just a few minutes to edit and add info to your database’s metadata can greatly enhance your experience with Metabase. Let’s learn [how to edit your metadata](03-data-model.md).
##Metadata Editing
## Metadata Editing
---
*Note: For an in-depth description of Metabase's understanding of metadata and how it uses it, check out our [Metadata Guide](metadata-guide.md)*
*Note: For an in-depth description of Metabase's understanding of metadata and how it uses it, check out our [Metadata Guide](metadata-guide.md).*
### What is metadata?
Metadata is data about other data. It's data that tells you about the data found in your database. For example, we could label a field that looks like just a bunch of numbers with the label “latitude,” which now gives that information additional meaning.
### Editing your database’s metadata
First off, make sure you’re in the Admin Panel. Then click on **Metadata** for the top menu.
###What is metadata?
**Metadata** is data about other data. It's data that tells you about the data found in your database.
###Tables
In the column on the left, you can choose which database you’re viewing, and then select the table whose metadata you want to view and edit.
* Add descriptions to tables to let people know type of data a table contains and how it can be used.
* Descriptions are displayed in the data model reference.
* You can control visibility of metadata by hiding it.
* If you hide a field, give Metabase a reason so it understands why a field is not being included.
You can edit metadata for two things: tables and fields.
###Fields
### Metadata for tables
* You can change the display name of a table by clicking and typing in the field where its name is displayed. This doesn’t change the *actual* name of the table in your database.
* Add descriptions to tables to let people know type of data a table contains and how it can be used. Descriptions are displayed in the data model reference panel in Metabase, which you can view by clicking the book icon in the top right of a new or saved question page.
* Tables can be set to Queryable or Hidden, controlling whether or not they’re accessible within Metabase.
* If Metabase misclassified the type of a field, you can update it here.
* Add a description to a field, so users know what data it contains.
* Descriptions are extra helpful when fields have values that are abbreviated or coded in a particular format.
* Descriptions are displayed in the data model reference.
### Metadata for fields
* Just like with tables, you can change the display name of your fields, and add descriptions to them so that other users will know what the field’s data represents. Descriptions are extra helpful when fields have values that are abbreviated or coded in a particular format.
* Metabase automatically attempts to classify your fields and assign them a type. If Metabase misclassified any fields, you can correct that here.
* The **Visibility** setting tells Metabase when and where you want a field to be displayed, or if you want it to be hidden.
* **Type** assigns a field a high-level category, and changes how the field can be used within Metabase. For example, only Metric fields can be added or averaged.
* **Details** let you give fields a more specific type, which enables special functionality. For example, if you set fields to Latitude and Longitude, you’ll be able to visualize the results from that table as a map. This is also where you can set a field to be a primary or foreign key of a table.
---
## Next: managing users
Let’s learn how to add, remove, and edit users in the [managing users section](04-managing-users.md).
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##Managing User Accounts
---
## Managing User Accounts
To start managing users, first go to the **Admin Panel** by clicking on the dropdown menu in the top right of Metabase and selecting Admin Panel.
Click on your profile icon in the upper right hand corner and select **Account Settings** to access your administrative dashboard.
![Profile dropdown](images/ProfileDropdown.png)
![profiledropdown](images/ProfileDropdown.png)
Select **People** from the menu bar at the top of the screen to see a list of all the user accounts in your organization.
Select **People** from the menu bar at the top of the screen to see a list of all user accounts in your organization.
![Admin menu](images/AdminBar.png)
![adminbar](images/AdminBar.png)
### Adding a new user
To add a new user account, click **Add person** in the upper right corner. You’ll be prompted to enter their name and email address.
* To add a new user account, click **Add person** in the upper right corner.
If you’ve already [configured Metabase to use email](02-setting-up-email.md), Metabase will send the new user an invite email. Otherwise, it’ll give you a temporary password that you’ll have to send to the person you’re inviting by hand.
![addperson](images/AddPerson.png)
### Removing a user
To delete a user's account, click on the three dots icon on the right of a user’s row and select **Remove** from the dropdown. Deleting an account will mark it as inactive and prevent it from being used in the future - but it *won’t* delete that user's saved questions or dashboards.
* Enter a user's information to create an account for them.
![Remove a user](images/RemoveUser.png)
![createuser](images/CreateUser.png)
### Editing a user
You can edit a user’s name and email address by clicking the three dots icon and choosing **Edit Details**. Note: be careful when changing a user’s email address, because *this will change the address they’ll use to log in to Metabase*.
### Resetting a user’s password
A user can always reset their password using the forgot password link on the login screen, but if you want to do this for them, just click the three dots icon and choose Reset Password. If you haven’t configured your email settings yet, you’ll be given a temporary password that you’ll have to share with that user. Otherwise, they’ll receive a password reset email.
* New users will receive an email welcoming them to Metabase and a link to configure their password.
* To delete a user's account, click **Remove**. Deleting an account will mark it as inactive and prevent it from being used in the future - but it won't delete the user's cards or dashboards.
### Changing a user’s role
Right now, the only role a user can have is either User or Admin. The only difference is that Admins can access the Admin Panel and make changes there.
* To make an existing user an administrator, click **Grant Admin**
* To remove administrator privileges from a user, select **Revoke Admin**
To change a user’s role, just click on it to open a dropdown and make your selection.
---
## Next: backing up application data
Things happen, so why not learn [how to back up Metabase’s application data](05-application-data.md)?
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##Backing up Metabase Application Data
---
###If you're using an Embedded Database
Find the file `metabase.db.h2.db`. If your system is inactive, you can make a copy directly. If your system is active, shut down the Metabase process and make a backup copy of the file. Then, restart the server.
## Backing up Metabase Application Data
Metabase keeps a database of all your saved questions, user accounts, activity, and more. If you’d like to back up this application database, the way to do this differs based on your configuration:
### If you're using an embedded database
Find the file `metabase.db.h2.db`. If Metabase isn’t running, you can make a copy directly. If your system is active, shut down the Metabase process and make a backup copy of the file. Then restart the server.
###If you're using Amazon RDS for the Database Application
Enable automated RDS Backups. Instructions can be found [here](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonRDS/latest/UserGuide/USER_WorkingWithAutomatedBackups.html).
### If you're using Amazon RDS for the application database
Enable automated RDS Backups. Instructions can be found [here](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonRDS/latest/UserGuide/USER_WorkingWithAutomatedBackups.html).
###If you're using a self-managed PostgreSQL or MySQL database
Back up your database as you would to any other PostgreSQL or MySQL database.
### If you're using a self-managed PostgreSQL or MySQL database
Back up your database as you would any other PostgreSQL or MySQL database.
---
## Next: configuring Metabase
There are a few other settings you configure in Metabase. [Learn how](06-configuration-settings.md).
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##Settings
---
###Base URL
The **base URL** is used in emails to allow users to click to their specific instance. Include the protocol (http vs https) to make sure it is reachable.
## Settings
Here are a few other miscellaneous settings you can configure from the home page of the **Admin Panel**.
### Site Name
How you’d like to refer to this instance of Metabase.
### Site URL
The base URL of this Metabase instance. The base URL is used in emails to allow users to click through to their specific instance. Make sure to include http:// or https:// to make sure it’s reachable.
###Connection Timezone
The **connection timezone** sets the default time zone for displaying times. The timezone is used when doing date breakouts.
### Report Timezone
The **report timezone** sets the default time zone for displaying times. The timezone is used when breaking out data by dates.
Setting the default timezone will not change the timezone of any data in your database. If the underlying times in your database aren't assigned to a timezone, Metabase will use the connection timezone as the default timezone.
*Setting the default timezone will not change the timezone of any data in your database*. If the underlying times in your database aren't assigned to a timezone, Metabase will use the report timezone as the default timezone.
###Name used for the Instance
If you want to name an instance, you can do so under settings. Many teams use the name of their company, but the choice is yours!
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### Anonymous Tracking
This option turns determines whether or not you allow anonymous data about your usage of Metabase to be sent back to us to help us improve the product. *Your database’s data is never tracked or sent*.
---
## Next: solving common problems
Got a problem? The answer might be in our [list of common problems](07-common-problems.md).
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## Common Problems
### Startup fails due to Migrations being locked
### Startup fails due to migrations being locked
Sometimes Metabase will fail to startup due to a lingering lock.
Solution:
Run `java -cp metabase-master-2015-08-06-3da1178.jar org.h2.tools.Server -webPort 3000` in the commandline
#### Solution:
Run `java -cp metabase-master-2015-08-06-3da1178.jar org.h2.tools.Server -webPort 3000` in the command line.
open the web console (it prints a url)
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## Metadata Guide
### This guide will teach you:
* What kinds of metadata Metabase stores and uses
* How Metabase analyzes your database
* How to improve the data model by adding your own knowledge to the auto-generated model
> **This guide will teach you:**
> What kinds of metadata Metabase stored and uses
> How Metabase scans your database
> How to improve the data model by adding your own knowledge to the auto-generated model
# Overview
### Overview
Metabase allows you to optionally annotate the data in your database or data warehouse. These annotations provide Metabase with an understanding of what the data actually means, and allows it to more intelligently process and display it for you. We currently allow you to annotate tables and columns.
All of these settings are editable via the metadata editing page within the Admin Panel.
All of these settings are editable via the **Metadata** page within the **Admin Panel**.
# Types of Metadata
### Tables
## Tables
Tables can either be set to **Queryable** or **Hidden**. Queryable tables can be selected from the question builder, and all of the data in the table can be displayed (unless certain fields are excluded — more on that below).
### Table type
Hidden tables can’t be selected from the query builder, and their data can’t be accessed.
A table can be marked as one of the below types.
You can also change the name and description of your tables here. Note that the underlying database won’t be affected — this will only change the name of the table while you’re viewing it within Metabase.
* Business Entity Table
* Rollup or Metrics Table
* System Table
* Intermediate Table
If you ever want to see the underlying original schema for a given table, just click the **Show original schema** toggle in the top-right of the screen.
Typically, only Business Entities and Metrics Tables are displayed in list, and will be colored differently to allow you to quickly find the table of interest.
### Fields
## Fields
A field is a representation of either a column (when using a SQL based database, like PostgreSQL) or a field in a document (when using a document- or JSON-based database like MongoDB).
A field is a representation of either a Column (when using a SQL based database, like PostgreSQL) or a field in a document (when using a document or JSON-based database like MongoDB).
There are several pieces of metadata you can edit per field: name, description, visibility, type, and details:
### Name
#### Name
Clicking on the name of the field allows you to change how the field name is displayed. For example, if your ORM produces table names like “auth.user", you can replace this with “User” to make it more readable.
Clicking on the name of the field allows you to change how the field name is displayed. For example, if your ORM produces table names like “auth.user", you can replace this with “User” to make it more readable. Again, this only changes how the field is displayed in Metabase.
### Description
#### Description
This is a human-readable description of what the field is and how it is meant to be used. Any caveats about interpretation can go here as well.
### Visibility
Fields are always displayed in “long form” spots like the detail pages for a specific row. By default, any column with an average length of longer than 50 characters is clipped. If you wish to toggle this, click on the checkbox next to a field name.
#### Visibility
### Position
If you have really long data in certain fields, like descriptions or biographies, you can set the visibility to display the field **Only in Detail Views** when looking at a single record. By default, any column with an average length of longer than 50 characters is assigned this setting.
A field has a default position, which is used whenever a row is displayed. Some views allow you to rearrange the order of column. Cases where you might want to use this are if you have a clear primary identifier for a table that for whatever reason is not the first column, or to move variable length columns to the end to make it easier to scan a table.
Similarly, if you have sensitive or irrelevant fields, you can set them to **Do Not Include**, preventing the field from being accessed by Metabase.
### Database Representation
#### Types
This refers to how the basic representation of the field in the database. It is not editable, as it represents how things are stored. It is useful to see if, for example, “1” refers to a number or a string in the underlying database.
A field can get assigned one of four basic types:
### Basic Types
* Metric — A metric is a number that you expect to plot, sum, take averages of, etc. Basically anything that would end up being plotted on the Y-Axis of a graph.
* Dimension — This is any field that you expect to use as an X-Axis of a graph or as part of a pivot table.
* Metric — a metric is a number that you expect to plot, sum, take averages of, etc. You could think of it as anything that would end up being plotted on the y-axis of a graph.
* Dimension — This is any field that you expect to use as an x-axis of a graph or as part of a pivot table. Anything that you could group your results by could be called a dimension, such as dates.
* Information — This is any other information that is not expected to be used in any kind of aggregate metrics but contains other information. Examples include descriptions, names, emails.
* Sensitive Information — Use this setting for fields that you don’t want to show up anywhere in Metabase. This does the same thing as changing the visibility to Do Not Include, and in fact if you set a field’s visibility to Do Not Include, it’ll automatically get assigned the type Sensitive Information.
### Semantic Types
#### Details
A field’s semantic type is used to determine how to display it as well as providing information to users of the data about the underlying meaning. For example, by marking fields in a table as Latitude and Longitude, you allow the table to be used to power pin and heat maps. Similarly, marking a field as a URL allows users to click on it and go to that URL.
A field’s detailed type is used to determine how to display it as well as providing information to users of the data about the underlying meaning. For example, by marking fields in a table as Latitude and Longitude, you allow the table to be used to create pin and heat maps. Similarly, marking a field as a URL allows users to click on it and go to that URL.
Semantic types include:
Common detailed types include:
* Avatar Image URL
* Category
......@@ -76,4 +70,9 @@ Semantic types include:
* Number
* State
* URL
* Zip Code
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* Zip Code
This is also where you set mark special fields in a table:
* Entity Key — the field in this table that uniquely identifies each row. Could be a product ID, serial number, etc.
* Entity Name — different from the entity key, this is the field whose heading represents what each row in the table *is*. For example, in a Users table, the User column might be the entity name.
* Foreign Key — this is a field in this table that uniquely identifies a *row* in another table. In other words, this is a field that, almost always, points to the primary key of another table. For example, in a Products table, you might have a Customer ID field that points to a Customers table, where Customer ID is the primary key.
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