Making Unity Catalog Work: Real-World Data Governance with Purview and Collibra

Data governance often flies under the radar—until something breaks. Maybe it’s an AI model producing flawed results, a report filled with the wrong numbers, or, worse, a data breach exposing sensitive customer information.

That’s usually the moment companies realize governance isn’t optional.

Unity Catalog has become a foundational tool for organizations building governance on Databricks. But on its own, it’s just one part of the story. To make governance truly work, Unity Catalog needs to connect with enterprise-wide tools like Microsoft Purview and Collibra—tools that bridge technical enforcement with business understanding.

This blog will explore “Data Governance with Unity Catalog” – what’s actually working on the ground—from setup to integration—and how organizations are putting the Unity Catalog at the center of modern data governance.

Start by Defining “Good Governance” in Your Business Context

Before you dive into tool configurations, get aligned on what you’re solving for:

• Compliance and audits?
• Access control and security?
• Clean, reusable data for analysts and engineers?

Your priorities will shape how you use Unity Catalog—especially where to enforce structure versus where to leave room for flexibility.

A 2024 industry survey showed that 60% of enterprise leaders now place governance above even AI enablement and data security—a signal that trust and access are becoming central to data strategy.

Why Unity Catalog Is Central to Governance on Databricks

If you use Databricks, Unity Catalog is your core governance layer. It handles:

• Fine-grained permissions
• Centralized lineage
• Data classification
• Cross-workspace policy enforcement

It brings structure to an environment that’s often flexible by design.

That said, Unity Catalog isn’t meant to be an all-in-one solution. Some organizations integrate Unity Catalog with either Microsoft Purview or Collibra—but many use both. Purview acts as the technical metadata and discovery layer across Azure environments, while Collibra manages business glossaries, stewardship workflows, and policy documentation. Used together, they form a comprehensive governance stack: Unity Catalog handles fine-grained access and enforcement within Databricks, Purview provides centralized visibility across Azure assets, and Collibra bridges the gap with business context and collaboration. This layered approach helps organizations align technical control with business trust.

For example, Purview usage grew 400% in 2024, with over 1,500 enterprises now using it to centralize governance across Azure environments.

What Actually Works with Unity Catalog (and What Doesn’t)

• Map your terms early: Unity Catalog, Purview, and Collibra each define things a bit differently. If “dataset” or “domain” means something else in every tool, you’re bound to run into trouble. Best to get aligned early.
• Only sync metadata that matters: You don’t need to catalog everything. Focus on high-impact datasets. Let Unity Catalog act as the system of record—and push only what’s relevant into Purview or Collibra.
• Automate lineage extraction: Unity Catalog auto-generates lineage across Databricks notebooks and jobs. Feed that into Purview or Collibra to help teams understand the impact upstream and downstream.
• Make Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) scalable: Set row- and column-level controls in Unity Catalog, then map them to Azure AD roles to simplify enterprise-wide access governance.
• Keep governance lean and business-aware: Set up a small working group across data, security, and compliance to define policies and handle exceptions. Governance should support agility—not slow it down.

Lessons from Integration Projects

• Use APIs or native connectors to link Unity Catalog with Purview or Collibra
• Automate syncs for schemas, lineage, and classifications
• Tag sensitive data (like PII, PHI or PCI) for faster discovery and risk management – standardizing tags helping in streamlining classification, audits and access control
• Avoid manual processes – they often fall out of sync quickly

In late 2024, Collibra Protect for Databricks went GA, enabling direct column- and row-level access enforcement through Unity Catalog—closing the loop between technical and policy-driven control.

Pitfalls to Watch Out For

• Over-governing: Locking everything down too early kills agility. Start with critical data, then expand.
• Disconnected tools: Silos between Unity Catalog, Purview, and Collibra limit visibility and kill trust.
• Too much metadata, too little usability: If users can’t find what they need—or don’t understand it—cataloging becomes noise.

Real-World Wins Using Unity Catalog as the Anchor

• A technology company working with Databricks was stuck—developers didn’t know which data version to trust or who to even ask about it. After rolling out Unity Catalog and connecting it to Purview, things finally started clicking. Less noise in Slack. Fewer data debates. And reports people could actually rely on.
• A healthcare company was managing glossaries in Collibra—but engineers weren’t checking them. We helped integrate Unity Catalog and embedded lineage directly in tools developers already used. Governance became embedded in the workflow—not bolted on later.
• WinWire recently worked with a global retail enterprise dealing with fragmented metadata and poor access control. We deployed Microsoft Purview, connected it to their Azure estate, and made Unity Catalog the foundation. That clarified ownership, automated lineage, and simplified permissions—resulting in faster supplier onboarding and stronger analytics trust.

What Good Governance Actually Looks Like

• You can trace metrics back to the exact data column they came from
• Access requests are auditable—and easy to fulfill
• Business and tech teams share the same data language
• New data gets used quickly—not delayed in approvals

These aren’t theoretical wins. In a recent study, 57% of companies with active governance programs reported better insights, and 55% saw improved data quality.

Final Take

Unity Catalog is the governance backbone for Databricks. But it only works when connected—smartly—to the broader enterprise governance strategy.

With Microsoft Purview and Collibra in the mix and clear ownership across tools, companies can shift from patchwork governance to something scalable, usable, and invisible.

Because the best data governance? It just works—and most people never even notice it.

Ready to Make Unity Catalog Work for Your Business?

At WinWire, we help organizations move from governance theory to execution. Whether setting up Unity Catalog, integrating with Microsoft Purview, or embedding governance into day-to-day workflows, we focus on what drives real adoption and impact.

Let’s make your data usable, trusted, and AI-ready.
Explore our services on Azure Marketplace.