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Canonical Explorer

The Canonical Explorer is an interactive tool within DIBOP that lets you browse the Canonical Data Model (CDM), view field definitions, check PII classifications, and review mapping coverage -- all from the web interface.

Accessing the Explorer

Navigate to BUILD > Canonical Explorer in the sidebar. The Explorer opens with a list of all CDM domains.

Browsing Domains

The left panel shows all 22 CDM domains, grouped by category:

Category Domains
Core Business Vehicle, Customer, Order, Workshop Job, Part, Lead
Operational Vehicle Inspection, Appointment, Shipment, Location, Parking Event, Vehicle Location
Financial Deal, Finance Agreement, Payroll Run, Employee
Recycling & End-of-Life EOL Vehicle, Auction Transaction, Title Record, Recycler Part, Depollution Record, Compliance Check

Click any domain to see its fields in the main panel.

Field Detail View

When you select a domain, the main panel displays a table of all fields:

Column Description
Field Name The CDM field name (e.g., vin, customer_name)
Type Data type (String, Number, Integer, Boolean, DateTime, Array)
Required Whether the field is required for a valid record
PII PII classification badge (None, PII, Sensitive PII)
Description What the field represents
Mapped By Number of connectors that map to this field

PII Badges

Fields are marked with colour-coded PII badges:

Badge Colour Meaning
None Grey No PII concern
PII Amber Personally identifiable information
Sensitive PII Red Highly sensitive personal information

Click any PII badge to see how the field is handled in logs and exports.

Viewing Records

The Canonical Explorer also lets you view actual data records stored in the CDM:

Browse Records

  1. Select a domain (e.g., Vehicle)
  2. Click the Records tab
  3. A paginated table shows all records in that domain

Record Detail

Click any record to see its full detail:

  • All field values (PII fields are masked according to your role)
  • Source system (which connector wrote this record)
  • Created and last updated timestamps
  • Mapping provenance (which fields were mapped and which were set manually)

Filtering Records

Use the filter bar above the records table to narrow results:

  • Search by any field value (e.g., search for a specific VIN)
  • Filter by source system
  • Filter by date range (created or updated)

Mapping Coverage

The Coverage tab shows how completely each connector maps to the selected domain:

Per-Connector Coverage

For each connector that maps to this domain:

Column Description
Connector Connector name
Required Fields How many required fields are mapped (e.g., "5/5")
Optional Fields How many optional fields are mapped (e.g., "12/25")
Total Coverage Overall percentage
Verified How many mappings are verified vs assumed

Per-Field Coverage

Switch to the per-field view to see which connectors map to each specific field:

Field MB OneAPI DMS CRM Finance
vin Verified Verified - Verified
make Verified Verified - -
model Verified Verified - -
mileage_km Verified Assumed - -
customer_name - Verified Verified Verified

This view helps you identify:

  • Fields that no connector maps (potential data gaps)
  • Fields that only have assumed (unverified) mappings
  • Which connectors are most complete for a given domain

Comparing Systems

Use the Compare feature to see how two systems represent the same domain:

  1. Select a domain
  2. Click Compare
  3. Choose two connectors
  4. A side-by-side view shows:
    • The CDM field in the centre
    • System A's native field name on the left
    • System B's native field name on the right
    • Mapping status for each side
System A (MB OneAPI)     CDM Field         System B (DMS)
────────────────────     ─────────         ──────────────
fin                  →   vin           ←   stock_vin
marke                →   make          ←   veh_make
modell               →   model         ←   veh_model
(unmapped)               trim          ←   trim_level
kilometerstand       →   mileage_km    ←   odometer_reading

This comparison is invaluable when building orchestrations that move data between the two systems.

Searching Across Domains

Use the global search at the top of the Explorer to find fields across all domains:

  • Search for "email" to find all domains that have an email field
  • Search for "vin" to find all domains that reference a vehicle
  • Search for "PII" to find all fields with PII classification

Results show the domain name, field name, and field details.

Exporting

Export the CDM schema or record data:

Schema Export

Click Export Schema to download the full CDM definition:

  • JSON Schema: A machine-readable JSON Schema for all domains
  • CSV: A flat table of all fields across all domains (useful for spreadsheets)

Data Export

From the Records tab, export the records:

  1. Apply filters (if desired)
  2. Click Export
  3. Choose CSV or JSON format
  4. Download

PII in Exports

Exported data includes PII fields (masked or unmasked depending on your role and export settings). Handle exports according to your organisation's data handling policies.

Use Cases for the Explorer

Use Case How to Use the Explorer
Planning an orchestration Check which fields are available for the systems you want to connect
Debugging a mapping issue View the per-field coverage to find unmapped or incorrectly mapped fields
Auditing PII exposure Filter for PII fields to review which systems have access to sensitive data
Validating data quality Browse records to spot missing or incorrect values
Onboarding a new connector Use the coverage view to prioritise which fields to map first

Next Steps