Once you have logged into your OpenMetadata instance, set up a data connector to start ingesting metadata. OpenMetadata provides [90+ turnkey connectors](/connectors) for a wide range of services, including:
For [custom data sources](/connectors/custom-connectors), metadata ingestion can also be set up via API.
There's two options on how to set up a data connector:
1.**Run the connector in OpenMetadata**: In this scenario, an IP will be provided when you add the service. You must allow access to this IP in your data sources.
{% tilesContainer %}
{% tile
title="Run the connector in OpenMetadata"
description="Guide to start ingesting metadata seamlessly from your data sources."
2.**Run the connector in your infrastructure or on a local machine:**: This hybrid model allows organizations to run metadata ingestion components within their own infrastructure. This ensures that OpenMetadata's managed service doesn't need direct access to the underlying data. Only metadata is collected locally and securely transmitted to the platform, maintaining data privacy and security.
## Step 2: Ingest Metadata
Once the connector is set up, configure a [metadata ingestion pipeline](/how-to-guides/admin-guide/how-to-ingest-metadata)
to import metadata into OpenMetadata on a regular schedule.
- Navigate to **Settings > Services > Databases** and select the service you added.
- Go to the **Ingestion** tab and click **Add Metadata Ingestion**.
To invite users you will need to ensure that you have an SMTP server available. With the information for your SMTP server you can configure OpenMetadata to send email alerts by updating the details from the UI.
To update the details from the UI, navigate to Settings > Preferences > Email
After metadata has been ingested into OpenMetadata, you can [invite users](/how-to-guides/admin-guide/teams-and-users/invite-users) to collaborate on the data and assign different roles.
- Go to **Settings > Team & User Management > Users**.
{% image
src="/images/v1.6/getting-started/users.png"
alt="Users Navigation"
caption="Users Navigation" /%}
- Click **Add User**, then enter their email and other required details to grant access to the platform.
{% image
src="/images/v1.6/getting-started/add-users.png"
alt="Adding New User"
height="750px"
caption="Adding New User" /%}
- Organize users into different Teams, and assign them specific Roles.
- Users inherit access permissions from their assigned teams and roles.
- Admin access can be granted to users who need full access to all settings, including the ability to invite new users.