Catalog Search
The Catalog Search agent answers questions by searching the Alation Data Catalog. It finds tables, columns, schemas, and other objects, and returns details about them.
How it works
Section titled “How it works”The agent follows this workflow:
- Interprets the question and decides which object types to search for.
- Uses filter fields and values to narrow the search where helpful.
- Searches the catalog and retrieves details about the matching objects.
Input parameters
Section titled “Input parameters”Required:
message(string): The natural language search request.
Available tools
Section titled “Available tools”- Search Catalog: Finds objects across the catalog.
- Get Search Filter Fields and Get Search Filter Values: Narrow results with filters.
- Get Object Fields: Retrieves details about a found object.
Comparison with Catalog Context Search
Section titled “Comparison with Catalog Context Search”Both agents search the catalog, but they suit different needs:
- Catalog Search (this agent) is a broader search assistant focused on object discovery — finding the right tables, columns, schemas, or articles for a question.
- Catalog Context Search focuses on assembling rich context for a question using semantic and filter-based strategies.
If you mainly need to find and vet objects, start with Catalog Search. If you need assembled context for a downstream task, use Catalog Context Search.