Custom asset types

In Amazon SageMaker Unified Studio, assets represent specific types of data resources such as database tables, dashboards, or machine learning models. To provide consistency and standardization when describing catalog assets, an Amazon SageMaker Unified Studio domain must have a set of asset types that define how assets are represented in the catalog.

An asset type defines the schema for a specific type of asset. It has a set of required and optional metadata form types. Asset types in Amazon SageMaker Unified Studio are versioned. When assets are created, they are validated against the schema defined by their asset type, and if an invalid structure is specified, asset creation fails.

Custom asset types allow domain administrators to catalog any format of asset within the Amazon SageMaker Unified Studio catalog. While you must bring your own subscription fulfillment process, custom asset types enable you to leverage the full metadata curation, discovery, and subscription flows offered by Amazon SageMaker Unified Studio.

Use cases for custom asset types include:

• Cataloging proprietary data formats that are not natively supported by Amazon SageMaker Unified Studio (for example, internal reporting systems, custom file formats, or third-party platform exports)

• Providing a unified discovery experience across all organizational assets regardless of their underlying format

• Enabling governed subscription workflows for assets where fulfillment is managed outside of Amazon SageMaker Unified Studio

Creating a custom asset type

Domain administrators can create custom asset types to represent any kind of asset in the catalog. You start by specifying a name, description, and the associated metadata forms that can be required or optional.

To create a custom asset type

1. Navigate to Domain management > Custom asset types in the left navigation bar.

2. Choose the Create dropdown in the top-right corner.

3. Choose Create custom asset type.

   

4. Specify the following:

   • Name — Enter a unique name for the asset type (1–128 characters). This name is immutable after creation.

   • (Optional) Description — Enter a brief description of the asset type (up to 2048 characters).

5. Choose Create custom asset type.

   

After the custom asset type is created, it appears in the list view and you can use it to create assets. As an optional step, you can choose Add metadata forms to attach metadata forms to this custom asset type. You can mark forms as required or optional. For more information about metadata forms, see Standardize metadata using metadata forms.

Viewing all custom asset types

The list view displays all custom asset types defined in your domain.

The table includes the following columns:

Custom asset types list columns

Column	Description
Name	The unique identifier for the asset type. Choose the name to open the detail view.
Description	A brief summary of what the asset type represents.
Metadata last updated	Timestamp of the most recent metadata change.
Actions	A delete icon. This is only available if no custom assets have been created from this type.

You can search for specific asset types using the search bar above the table. The Create dropdown in the top-right also provides a shortcut to create a custom asset directly from this page.

Viewing custom asset type details

Choose any asset type name in the list to open its detail view.

The detail view includes the following information:

• Revisions — View prior versions of the asset type using the revision dropdown. You can always view historical revisions but only create new ones. Any update operation creates a new revision.

• Description — An editable description of the asset type.

• Name — Displayed but immutable after creation.

• Metadata forms — A list of all attached forms with their field definitions. Each form shows an Add metadata forms button to attach additional forms from your domain.

To add a metadata form, choose Add metadata forms. In the drawer, select a form from the list or use the search bar to find one.

If no metadata forms exist in your domain yet, you can choose Create Form from within the drawer to create one. For more information, see Standardize metadata using metadata forms.

Deleting a custom asset type

A custom asset type can only be deleted if no custom assets have been created from it. If assets exist that use this type, the delete action is unavailable.

To delete a custom asset type

1. Navigate to the custom asset types list view.

2. In the Actions column, choose the delete icon next to the asset type you want to remove.

   Alternatively, from the asset type detail page, choose Actions, and then choose Delete.

Note

You must delete all associated custom assets before removing the type itself. If the delete icon is grayed out, one or more custom assets still reference this type.

Creating a custom asset

After you create a custom asset type, you can create individual custom assets from it.

To create a custom asset

1. Navigate to the detail view of the desired custom asset type.

2. Choose the Create custom asset button in the top-right (available from the Create dropdown).

3. Configure the following settings:

   • Name — A unique name for the asset (1–256 characters). This field is required.

   • (Optional) Description — A description of the asset (up to 2048 characters).

   

4. Choose Create custom asset.

After creation, the asset is stored in a draft state. You can further enrich it before publishing to make it discoverable in the catalog.

Enriching a custom asset

After you create a custom asset, you can enrich it with additional context to improve discoverability and documentation. The enrichment options for custom assets are the same as those for other catalog assets. For more information about curating and enriching asset metadata, see Curate and enrich asset metadata.

After you enrich the asset, publish it to make it discoverable in the catalog. For more information, see Publish data.

Discovering custom assets in the catalog

After publishing, custom assets become discoverable through the Amazon SageMaker Unified Studio catalog search. Users can find custom assets by:

• Searching — Enter a name or description in the search bar to find matching assets.

• Filtering by type — Select the custom asset type in the left-hand filter panel to narrow results to a specific type.

• Filtering by glossary terms — Use tagged glossary terms to discover related assets.

• Filtering by date — Filter by metadata last updated or creation date.

Search results display the asset name, last updated date, asset type, description snippet, and associated glossary terms.

For more information about searching and discovering assets, see Search and discover data.

Requesting a subscription to a custom asset

When a user finds a custom asset they need access to, they can request a subscription. The subscription request process for custom assets follows the same workflow as other catalog assets. For detailed steps, see Request access to data.

Note

Because custom asset types use an external fulfillment process, the subscription grants discovery and metadata access through Amazon SageMaker Unified Studio. The actual data access and delivery is managed by the asset owner's own fulfillment mechanism. This differs from standard table subscriptions, where Lake Formation permissions are granted automatically upon approval.