Microsoft Purview · Unified Catalog Governance

Data Governance Administrator

Catalog-level role that delegates first level of access for Governance Domain Creators and other catalog permissions.

Scope: Catalog-wide administrative permissions for Unified Catalog

Permissions

  • Delegate Governance Domain Creator role to users
  • Assign other catalog-level permissions (Data Health Owner, Global Catalog Reader)
  • Manage Unified Catalog solution settings
  • Configure roles and permissions for Unified Catalog
  • Oversee catalog-level governance across all domains

Common use cases

  • Chief Data Officer or Data Governance Director managing catalog strategy
  • Assigning Governance Domain Creator role to business unit leaders
  • Managing catalog-level permissions and role assignments
  • Overseeing federated governance implementation
  • Configuring catalog settings and solution integrations

Best practices

  • Limit to 2-5 senior data governance leaders maximum
  • Document governance domain creation strategy before delegating
  • Establish clear criteria for who should receive Governance Domain Creator role
  • Regular review of catalog-level role assignments
  • Coordinate with business units on domain structure and ownership

Security considerations

  • High-level administrative role - assign carefully
  • Can delegate domain creation which affects organizational structure
  • All assignments should be documented with business justification
  • Consider using just-in-time access for temporary administrators

Official Microsoft Learn documentation →

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