Which of the following describes the purpose of a metadata file when defining security predicates?

A metadata file serves a crucial role in the context of defining security predicates, particularly by specifying settings related to data access controls. The correct answer highlights that the primary purpose of such a file is to define row-level security filter settings for external data.

When implementing security features, especially in data analytics and database management, ensuring that users have appropriate access to specific rows of data based on defined criteria is essential. The metadata file accomplishes this by detailing how the security predicates should be applied to restrict or permit access at the row level effectively. This capability allows organizations to maintain data privacy and security by ensuring that sensitive information is only visible to authorized personnel based on established criteria, such as user roles or other attributes.

The other options, while relevant to data management and analytics, do not directly pertain to the specific function of defining security predicates in the same way. Managing data lineage and transformations focuses more on tracking the flow and changes of data rather than access control. Storing configurations for visualizations and reports relates more to presentation and reporting settings instead of security. Listing user permissions addresses access rights but does not specifically focus on the granular aspect of row-level filtering for data.