graph_findRootObjects
Find root objects with no upstream dependencies in specified database patterns. Use these foundational objects as starting points for downstream impact analysis.
Instructions
Find root objects (objects with no upstream dependencies) in specified containers.
Root objects are ideal starting points for downstream impact analysis as they represent the foundational data sources that nothing else depends upon.
Use this for:
Finding starting points for downstream impact analysis
Identifying source tables and base objects in data pipelines
Discovering independent objects that can be safely analysed in isolation
Understanding data flow origins in a schema or database
Planning migration or refactoring by identifying foundation objects
Arguments: container_pattern - str: Database/schema pattern(s) to search. SUPPORTS WILDCARDS (%) and CSV.
IMPORTANT: This is a STRING parameter (type: str), not an array.
Pass multiple patterns as a single comma-separated string.
SINGLE CONTAINER:
'DEV01_StGeo_STD_T' - Specific database
WILDCARDS (%):
'%WBC%' - All databases containing WBC
'DEV01_%' - All databases starting with DEV01_
'%_STD_T' - All databases ending with _STD_T
MULTIPLE CONTAINERS (CSV format):
'%WBC%,%StGeo%' - All WBC and StGeo databases
'DEV01_StGeo_STD_T,DEV02_WBC_STD_T' - Specific databases
'DEV01_%,DEV02_%' - All DEV01 and DEV02 databases
WHITESPACE HANDLING:
Whitespace is automatically trimmed, so these are equivalent:
✅ '%WBC%,%StGeo%' (no spaces)
✅ '%WBC%, %StGeo%' (spaces after commas - OK)
HOW TO PASS IN CODE:
Python: container_pattern="%WBC%,%StGeo%"
JSON: {"container_pattern": "%WBC%,%StGeo%"}
CRITICAL: This is a STRING type parameter.
✅ CORRECT: Pass as string: container_pattern="%WBC%,%StGeo%"
❌ WRONG: Pass as array: container_pattern=["%WBC%", "%StGeo%"]exclude_objects - str: Comma-separated list of patterns to exclude (SERVER-SIDE filter). Matches against DatabaseName.ObjectName format.
Common exclusion patterns:
'PRD_%,PROD_%' - Exclude production databases
'%.temp_%,%.bak_%' - Exclude temporary and backup objects
'DFJ%,C_D02%' - Exclude personal/sandbox schemas
Performance: Reduces result set and improves query time
Default: '' (empty string = no exclusions)edge_repository - str: Edge repository table/view conforming to the Required parameter — no default.
object_types - str: Comma-separated list of object types to include (optional filter). Examples: 'T' (tables), 'V' (views), 'P' (procedures), 'M' (macros) Multiple: 'T,V' (tables and views only) Empty = all object types included Default: '' (all types)
return_format - str: Output format: 'detailed' or 'summary' 'detailed' (default): Full object list with metadata 'summary': High-level statistics and counts only Default: 'detailed'
Returns: ResponseType: formatted response with root objects + metadata
Example queries that trigger this tool:
"Which objects in WBC and StGeo databases have no dependencies?"
"Find root objects in DEV01 databases"
"What are the starting points for impact analysis in StGeo?"
"Show me base tables with no upstream dependencies"
"Which objects should I start analysing for downstream impact?"
Example calls:
Find root objects in WBC and StGeo databases
handle_graph_findRootObjects( conn=connection, container_pattern="%WBC%,%StGeo%" )
Find only root tables (no views/procedures)
handle_graph_findRootObjects( conn=connection, container_pattern="DEV01_%", object_types="T" )
Find root objects excluding production and temporary objects
handle_graph_findRootObjects( conn=connection, container_pattern="%WBC%,%StGeo%", exclude_objects="PRD_%,%.temp_%,%.bak_%" )
Quick summary of root objects
handle_graph_findRootObjects( conn=connection, container_pattern="DEV01_StGeo_STD_T", return_format="summary" )
Technical Implementation:
Queries the edge repository to find all objects in specified containers
Identifies objects that appear as sources but never as targets
These are "root" objects - they have no upstream dependencies
Results are filtered by exclude_objects and object_types parameters
Returns list of root objects suitable for downstream impact analysis
Input Schema
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| container_pattern | Yes | ||
| exclude_objects | No | ||
| edge_repository | No | ||
| object_types | No | ||
| return_format | No | detailed |