{
  "name" : "name",
  "description" : "description",
  "properties" : {
    "key_name_1" : "value_1", 
        "key_name_2" : "value_2"
  },
  "tags" : [ "tag_1" ]
}

To add metadata files to files and directories, create a metadata file with the extension .navigator, naming the files as follows:

• File - The path of the metadata file must be .filename.navigator. For example, to apply properties to the file /user/test/file1.txt, the metadata file path is /user/test/.file1.txt.navigator.
• Directory - The path of the metadata file must be dirpath/.navigator. For example, to apply properties to the directory /user, the metadata path must be /user/.navigator.

The metadata file is applied to the entity metadata when the extractor runs.

The Navigator APIs can be used modify metadata of HDFS or Hive entities before or after entity extraction.

• If an entity has been extracted when the API is called, the metadata is applied immediately.
• If the entity has not been extracted, you can preregister metadata, which is then applied once the entity is extracted.

If you call the API before the entity is extracted, the custom metadata is stored with the entity's:

• Identity
• Source ID
• Metadata fields (name, description, tags, properties)
• Fields relevant to the identifier

Other fields (attributes) for the entity, such as Type, are not present.

To view all stored metadata, use the API to search for entities without an internal type, specifically the entities endpoint with the GET method:

http://fqdn-n.example.com:port/api/APIversion/entities/ 

curl http://node1.example.com:7187/api/v13/entities/?query=-internalType:* \
-u username:password -X GET

Metadata is modified using either the PUT or POST method. Use the PUT method if the entity has been extracted, and the POST method to preregister metadata. Use the following syntax:

• PUT

  curl http://fqdn-n.example.com:port/api/APIversion/entities/identity \
  -u username:password \
  -X PUT \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{properties}'

  where identity is an entity ID and properties are:
  • name - Name metadata.
  • description - Description metadata.
  • tags - Tag metadata.
  • properties - Custom metadata properties. The format is {key: value}.
  • customProperties - Managed metadata properties. The format is {namespace: {key: value}}. If a property is assigned a value that does not conform to type constraints, an error is returned.
  All existing naming rules apply, and if any value is invalid, the entire request is denied.
• POST

  curl http://fqdn-n.example.com:port/api/APIversion/entities/ \
  -u username:password \
  -X POST \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{properties}'

  where properties are:
  • sourceId (required) - An existing source ID. After the first extraction, you can retrieve source IDs using the call:

    curl http://fqdn-n.example.com:port/api/APIversion/entities/?query=type:SOURCE \
    -u username:password -X GET

    For example:

    [ ...
    {  {
    "identity": "61cfefd303d4284b7f5014b701f2c76d",
    "originalName": "source.listing",
    "originalDescription": null,
    "sourceId": "012437f9eeb3c23dc69e679ac94a7fa2",
    "firstClassParentId": null,
    "parentPath": "/user/hdfs/.cm/distcp/2016-02-03_487",
    ...
    "properties": {
    "__cloudera_internal__hueLink":
    "http://fqdn-2.example.com:8888/filebrowser/#/user/hdfs/.cm/distcp/2016-02-03_487/source.listing"
     },
    "technicalProperties": null,
    "fileSystemPath": "/user/hdfs/.cm/distcp/2016-02-03_487/source.listing",
    "type": "FILE",
    "size": 92682,
    "created": "2016-02-03T21:12:16.587Z",
    "lastModified": "2016-02-03T21:12:16.587Z",
    "lastAccessed": "2016-02-03T21:12:16.587Z",
    "permissions": "rw-r--r--",
    "owner": "hdfs",
    "group": "supergroup",
    "blockSize": 134217728,
    "mimeType": "application/octet-stream",
    "replication": 3,
    "userEntity": false,
    "deleted": false,
    "sourceType": "HDFS",
    "metaClassName": "fselement",
    "packageName": "nav",
    "internalType": "fselement"
    }, ...

    If you have multiple services of a given type, you must specify the source ID that contains the entity you expect it to match.
  • parentPath - The path of the parent entity, defined as:
    • HDFS file or directory - fileSystemPath of the parent directory. (Do not provide this field if the entity affected is the root directory.) Example parentPath for /user/admin/input_dir: /user/admin. If you add metadata to a directory, the metadata does not propagate to any files or folders in that directory.
    • Hive database - If you are updating database metadata, do not specify this field.
    • Hive table or view - The name of database containing the table or view. Example for a table in the default database: default.
    • Hive column - database name/table name/view name. Example for a column in the sample_07 table: default/sample_07.
  • originalName (required) - The name as defined by the source system.
    • HDFS file or directory- Name of file or directory (ROOT if the entity is the root directory). Example originalName for /user/admin/input_dir: input_dir.
    • Hive database, table, view, or column - The name of the database, table, view, or column.
      • Example for default database: default
      • Example for sample_07 table: sample_07
  • identity
  • Metadata fields (name, description, tags, properties)
  • Fields relevant to the identifier

All existing naming rules apply, and if any value is invalid, the entire request is denied.