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Test Runner

The TestRunner class provides a fluent API for executing data quality tests against tables cataloged in Collate. It automatically fetches table metadata and service connections, letting you run tests with minimal configuration. The TestRunner lets you:
  • Execute tests defined in code against cataloged tables.
  • Run tests previously configured in the Collate UI.
  • Load test definitions from YAML workflow files.
  • Validate data at the table and column levels.
  • Get detailed test results for programmatic handling.
Note: If you’re using Collate Cloud, see External Secrets Managers for more information.

Basic Usage

The following sections walk through each step of running a test, from creating a runner to processing results.

Creating a TestRunner

Create a runner for a specific table using its fully qualified name (FQN):
The table FQN format is: {service}.{database}.{schema}.{table}.

Adding Tests

Add test definitions to the runner:

Adding Multiple Tests

Use add_tests() to add several tests at once:

Running Tests

Execute all configured tests:

Complete Example

Here’s a complete example of testing a customer table:

Running Tests from Collate UI

Instead of defining tests in code, run tests that data stewards have configured in the Collate UI. This enables a collaborative workflow where:
  • Data stewards define and maintain test criteria in the UI.
  • Engineers execute those tests automatically in pipelines.
This approach ensures:
  • Test definitions stay synchronized with business requirements.
  • Engineers don’t need to modify code when test criteria change.
  • All stakeholders own data quality.

Customizing Test Metadata

Customize test names, display names, and descriptions:
Or pass values directly to the constructor:

Configuring Row Count Computation

Some tests support computing the number and percentage of rows that passed or failed:
This provides detailed metrics about test failures, useful for:
  • Identifying the scope of data quality issues.
  • Prioritizing remediation efforts.
  • Tracking data quality trends over time.

Test Runner Configuration

Customize the test runner behavior using the setup() method:

Configuration Parameters

The table below lists all parameters accepted by the setup() method.

Understanding Test Results

Test results contain detailed information about test execution:

Test Status Values

Each test result includes one of the following status values.
  • Success: Test passed all validation criteria.
  • Failed: Test did not meet validation criteria.
  • Aborted: Test execution was interrupted or could not complete.

Integration with ETL Workflows

Integrate TestRunner into your extract, transform, load (ETL) pipelines:

Error Handling

Handle potential errors gracefully:

Best Practices

Follow these guidelines to get the most out of the TestRunner API.
  • Use descriptive test names: Make test failures easy to understand.
  • Use UI-defined tests: Let data stewards define test criteria.
  • Handle results programmatically: Don’t just print—take action.
  • Use appropriate thresholds: Set realistic min/max values based on data patterns.
  • Combine table and column tests: Ensure both structural and content quality.

Using External Secrets Managers

Important: If your Collate instance uses database-stored credentials (the default configuration), you don’t need to follow this guide. The SDK will automatically retrieve and decrypt credentials.This guide is only necessary when your organization uses an external secrets manager for credential storage.

Why This is Required

The TestRunner API executes data quality tests directly from your Python code (for example, within your ETL pipelines). To connect to your data sources, it needs to:
  1. Retrieve the service connection configuration from Collate.
  2. Decrypt the credentials stored in your secrets manager.
  3. Establish a connection to the data source.
  4. Execute the test cases.
Without proper secrets manager configuration, the SDK cannot decrypt credentials and will fail to connect to your data sources.

General Setup Steps

  1. Contact your Collate administrator to obtain:
    • The secrets manager type (AWS, Azure, GCP, and so on).
    • The secrets manager loader configuration.
    • Required environment variables or configuration files.
    • Any additional setup (IAM roles, service principals, and so on).
  2. Install required dependencies for your secrets manager provider.
  3. Configure environment variables with access credentials.
  4. Initialize the SecretsManagerFactory before using TestRunner.
  5. Configure the SDK and run your tests.

Example Using AWS Secrets Manager

Required Dependencies:
Example Configuration:

Configuration by Provider

Find the configuration details for your secrets manager provider below.

AWS and AWS Parameter Store

Collate’s ingestion extras: aws (for example, pip install 'openmetadata-ingestion[aws]') SecretsManagerProvider: (one of)
  • SecretsManagerProvider.aws
  • SecretsManagerProvider.managed_aws
  • SecretsManagerProvider.aws_ssm
  • SecretsManagerProvider.managed_aws_ssm
Environment variables:
  • AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID
  • AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY
  • AWS_DEFAULT_REGION

Azure Key Vault

Collate’s ingestion extras: azure (for example, pip install 'openmetadata-ingestion[azure]') SecretsManagerProvider: (one of)
  • SecretsManagerProvider.azure_kv
  • SecretsManagerProvider.managed_azure_kv
Environment variables:
  • AZURE_CLIENT_ID
  • AZURE_CLIENT_SECRET
  • AZURE_TENANT_ID
  • AZURE_KEY_VAULT_NAME

Google Cloud Secret Manager

Collate’s ingestion extras: gcp (for example, pip install 'openmetadata-ingestion[gcp]') SecretsManagerProvider: SecretsManagerProvider.gcp Environment variables:
  • GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS: Path to the credentials JSON file.
  • GCP_PROJECT_ID

Troubleshooting

  • Issue: “Cannot decrypt service connection” Cause: Secrets manager not initialized or misconfigured. Solution: Ensure SecretsManagerFactory is initialized before calling configure() or creating the TestRunner.
  • Issue: “Access Denied” or “Unauthorized” Cause: Insufficient permissions to access secrets. Solution:
    • Verify IAM role/service principal has correct permissions.
    • Check credentials are valid and not expired.
    • Ensure correct region/vault name is specified.
  • Issue: “Module not found” for secrets manager Cause: Missing dependencies for your secrets manager. Solution: Install required extras:
  • Issue: Tests Fail with Connection Errors Cause: Credentials not properly decrypted or secrets manager misconfigured. Solution:
    1. Verify secrets manager provider matches your Collate backend configuration.
    2. Test credential access independently (for example, using AWS CLI, Azure CLI, and gcloud).
    3. Check network connectivity to secrets manager service.
    4. Enable debug logging to see detailed error messages:

Contact Your Administrator

If you’re unsure about:
  • Which secrets manager your organization uses.
  • Required environment variables or configuration.
  • Access credentials or IAM roles.
  • Permissions needed.
Contact your Collate administrator for the specific configuration required in your environment.

Next Steps

Once you have TestRunner working, explore these related guides.