About relation types

A relation is a characteristic that shows how assets are related to one another. The relation type defines which asset types can be related and which connections can exist between the asset types.

When you associate a relation type with an asset type through an assignment, you can add relations of that relation type to the assets of that asset type. This helps you build a rich, interconnected graph of your data assets, making it easier to understand dependencies, impact, and the overall lineage of information across your organization.

Collibra includes a number of out-of-the-box relation types that provide the foundational vocabulary and structure for building a cohesive and understandable network of data assets. They ensure consistency, accelerate implementation, and facilitate the effective use of the platform.

Certain relation types are managed by Collibra, meaning they are system-managed and you can't edit their public ID or delete them. You can, however, edit their names (for example, to translate them into your preferred language).

Elements in a relation type

A relation type has four elements, which are described in the following table.

Element	Description
Head	Asset type of assets that can be the head of the relation.
Tail	Asset type of assets that can be the tail of the relation.
Role	Description of the relation type originating from the head asset and directed toward the tail asset. A role represents the direction in a relationship between two assets. It describes how the head asset interacts with or is related to the tail asset. For example, in the relation type Column is part of / contains Table, the role is is part of, which indicates the relationship from the perspective of the head asset (Column) toward the tail asset (Table).
Co-role	Description of the relation type originating from the tail asset and directed toward the head asset. A role represents the inverse direction in a relationship between two assets. It describes how the tail asset interacts with or is related to the head asset. For example, in the relation type Column is part of / contains Table, the co-role is contains, which indicates the relationship from the perspective of the tail asset (Table) toward the head asset (Column).

Note Relations are bidirectional. For example, in the relation type Column is part of / contains Table, the Column asset is part of the Table asset, and the Table asset contains the Column asset.