Gemini CLI Extension - Dataplex

Note

This extension is currently in beta (pre-v1.0), and may see breaking changes until the first stable release (v1.0).

This Gemini CLI extension provides a set of tools to interact with Dataplex instances. It allows you to manage your data lakes, zones, and assets directly from the Gemini CLI, using natural language prompts.

Learn more about Gemini CLI Extensions.

Important

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Why Use the Dataplex Extension?

• Natural Language Management: Stop wrestling with complex commands. Explore schemas and query data by describing what you want in plain English.
• Seamless Workflow: As a Google-developed extension, it integrates seamlessly into the Gemini CLI environment. No need to constantly switch contexts for common database tasks.
• Code Generation: Accelerate development by asking Gemini to generate data classes and other code snippets based on your table schemas.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have the following:

• Gemini CLI installed with version +v0.6.0.
• Setup Gemini CLI Authentication.
• A Google Cloud project with the Dataplex API enabled.
• Ensure Application Default Credentials are available in your environment.
• IAM Permissions:
  • Dataplex Data Reader (roles/dataplex.dataReader): For reading data from the underlying assets (e.g., to run analytics queries).
  • Service Usage Consumer (roles/serviceusage.serviceUsageConsumer)

Getting Started

Installation

To install the extension, use the command:

gemini extensions install https://github.com/gemini-cli-extensions/dataplex

Configuration

Set the following environment variables before starting the Gemini CLI. These variables can be loaded from a .env file.

export DATAPLEX_PROJECT="<your-gcp-project-id>"

Ensure Application Default Credentials are available in your environment.

Start Gemini CLI

To start the Gemini CLI, use the following command:

gemini

Usage Examples

Interact with Dataplex using natural language right from your IDE:

• Explore Catalog and Metadata:

  • "Find all catalog entries related to 'customer orders'."
  • "Which columns look similar across marketing and sales datasets?"
  • "Show me the description and owner for the 'customer_pii' entry."

• Perform Ad-hoc Analysis:

  • "Calculate the total 'customer orders' this month."

Supported Tools

• search_entries: Use this tool to search for entries in Dataplex Catalog based on the provided search query.
• lookup_entry: Use this tool to retrieve a specific entry from Dataplex Catalog.
• search_aspect_types: Use this tool to find aspect types relevant to the query.

Additional Extensions

Find additional extensions to support your entire software development lifecycle at github.com/gemini-cli-extensions.

Troubleshooting

Use gemini --debug to enable debugging.

Common issues:

• "failed to find default credentials: google: could not find default credentials.": Ensure Application Default Credentials are available in your environment. See Set up Application Default Credentials for more information.
• "✖ Error during discovery for server: MCP error -32000: Connection closed": The database connection has not been established. Ensure your configuration is set via environment variables.
• "✖ MCP ERROR: Error: spawn /Users/USER/.gemini/extensions/dataplex/toolbox ENOENT": The Toolbox binary did not download correctly. Ensure you are using Gemini CLI v0.6.0+.
• "cannot execute binary file": The Toolbox binary did not download correctly. Ensure the correct binary for your OS/Architecture has been downloaded. See Installing the server for more information.