Getting Started with Data Quality as Code

This guide will help you install the OpenMetadata Python SDK and configure authentication to start running data quality tests programmatically.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:

Python 3.10 or higher installed
pip package manager
Access to an OpenMetadata instance (version 1.11.0 or later)
A JWT token for authentication (see Authentication below)

Installation

Install the openmetadata-ingestion package with the necessary extras for your use case:

Basic Installation

pip install "openmetadata-ingestion>=1.12.0.0"

Installation with Database Connectors

Install additional dependencies based on the databases you’ll be testing:

# For PostgreSQL
pip install "openmetadata-ingestion[postgres]>=1.12.0.0"

# For MySQL
pip install "openmetadata-ingestion[mysql]>=1.12.0.0"

# For BigQuery
pip install "openmetadata-ingestion[bigquery]>=1.12.0.0"

# For multiple databases
pip install "openmetadata-ingestion[postgres,mysql,bigquery]>=1.12.0.0"

Installation with DataFrame Support

If you plan to use DataFrame validation features:

pip install "openmetadata-ingestion[pandas]>=1.12.0.0"

Installation with Multiple Features

Combine multiple extras as needed:

# For DataFrame validation with Postgres support
pip install "openmetadata-ingestion[pandas,postgres]>=1.12.0.0"

# For comprehensive ETL support
pip install "openmetadata-ingestion[pandas,postgres,pyarrow]>=1.12.0.0"

Authentication

Data Quality as Code requires authentication with your OpenMetadata instance. The SDK supports JWT token authentication.

Getting a JWT Token

You can obtain a JWT token in two ways:

Option 1: Using an Existing Bot Token

OpenMetadata provides pre-configured bots like the ingestion-bot:

Log in to your OpenMetadata instance
Navigate to Settings > Bots
Find the ingestion-bot (or create a new bot)
Copy the JWT token

Option 2: Creating a Custom Bot

For production use, create a dedicated bot with specific permissions:

Go to Settings > Bots
Click Add Bot
Provide a name and description
Assign appropriate roles (typically DefaultBotPolicy and Ingestion Bot Policy)
Copy the generated JWT token

Configuring the SDK

Once you have a JWT token, configure the SDK in your Python code:

from metadata.sdk import configure

configure(
    host="http://localhost:8585/api",  # Your OpenMetadata API URL
    jwt_token="your-jwt-token-here"
)

Using Environment Variables

For better security, let configure pick them up from environment variables:

from metadata.sdk import configure

configure()

Set the environment variable before running your script:

export OPENMETADATA_HOST="http://localhost:8585/api"
export OPENMETADATA_JWT_TOKEN="your-jwt-token-here"

python your_script.py

Configuration Parameters

The configure() function accepts the following parameters:

Parameter	Type	Required	Description	Environment Variable
`host`	`str`	No	OpenMetadata API URL (e.g., `http://localhost:8585/api`)	`OPENMETADATA_HOST`
`jwt_token`	`str`	No	JWT authentication token	`OPENMETADATA_JWT_TOKEN`

Verify Installation

Create a simple test to verify your setup:

from metadata.sdk import configure
from metadata.sdk.data_quality import TestRunner

# Configure SDK
configure(
    host="http://localhost:8585/api",
    jwt_token="your-jwt-token-here"
)

# Test connection by creating a runner
try:
    runner = TestRunner.for_table("your_service.database.schema.table")
    print("✓ SDK configured successfully!")
except Exception as e:
    print(f"✗ Configuration failed: {e}")

Replace "your_service.database.schema.table" with the fully qualified name of an actual table in your OpenMetadata instance.

Your First Data Quality Test

Now that you’re set up, let’s run your first data quality test:

from metadata.sdk import configure
from metadata.sdk.data_quality import TestRunner, TableRowCountToBeBetween

# Configure SDK
configure(
    host="http://localhost:8585/api",
    jwt_token="your-jwt-token-here"
)

# Create a test runner for a specific table
runner = TestRunner.for_table("MySQL.ecommerce.public.customers")

# Add a test to verify row count is within expected range
runner.add_test(
    TableRowCountToBeBetween(min_count=1000, max_count=100000)
)

# Run the tests
results = runner.run()

# Print results
for result in results:
    test_case = result.testCase
    test_result = result.testCaseResult

    print(f"Test: {test_case.name.root}")
    print(f"Status: {test_result.testCaseStatus}")
    print(f"Result: {test_result.result}")

Common Installation Issues

Connection Timeout

If you experience connection timeouts, verify:

OpenMetadata instance is running and accessible
API URL is correct (should end with /api)
Network connectivity between your script and OpenMetadata
Firewall rules allow the connection

Import Errors

If you encounter import errors:

ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'metadata'

Verify the package is installed correctly:

pip list | grep openmetadata

If not listed, reinstall:

pip install --upgrade "openmetadata-ingestion>=1.12.0.0"

Next Steps

Now that you have the SDK installed and configured:

Learn how to run table-level tests using the TestRunner API
Explore DataFrame validation for ETL pipelines
Review the complete test definitions reference

​Getting Started with Data Quality as Code

​Prerequisites

​Installation

​Basic Installation

​Installation with Database Connectors

​Installation with DataFrame Support

​Installation with Multiple Features

​Authentication

​Getting a JWT Token

​Option 1: Using an Existing Bot Token

​Option 2: Creating a Custom Bot

​Configuring the SDK

​Using Environment Variables

​Configuration Parameters

​Verify Installation

​Your First Data Quality Test

​Common Installation Issues

​Connection Timeout

​Import Errors

​Next Steps

​Additional Resources