META DATA

V.Saranya
Information about enterprise data
Used for effective data management
Enables data storage management and
integration.
Meta data repository.
Meta data contains
Location & Description of data warehouse system and data
components.
Names, definitions, structure & content of data warehouse.
Identification of authorized sources.
Subscription information
Data warehouse operational information
Security authorization & access control list
Integration & transformation rules.
Mapping methods
Meta data used for maintaining, building, managing and using data
warehouse.
Helps the user to understand the data

Meta Data Interchange Initiative
To develop the standard specification for meta data inter change
format and support its mechanism called meta data interchange
initiative.
Goal of a Charter:
Creating a vendor independent, industry defined and maintained
standard access mechanism.
Enabling the users to control and manage the access manipulate
the meta data by using interchange complaint tools.
Allow the users to build the tools to meet their needs
Enabling the tools to satisfy their meta data access requirements
freely.
Define clear and simple infrastructure.
Minimize the amount of modification.
Creating a procedure for establishing, maintaining, extending,
updating.
Heart of interchange standard
specifications
Core set components
Core set components
Represent the minimum common denominator of the meta
data element.
Represent minimum point of integration.
Approve optional and extension components.
Defines 2 distinct meta models.
Application meta model.
Load the meta data for particular application.
Meta data meta model.
Set of objects to describe meta data.

Meta Data Interchange Standard
Framework
Approaches:
Procedural approach.
ASCII batch approach
Hybrid approach.

Meta Data Interchange Standard Framework
TOOL 1
TOOL 1
TOOL 1 TOOL 1
TOOL
profile
TOOL
profie
TOOL
profile
TOOL
profile
Standard API
Standard
Meta Data
Model
Standard access framework
User Configuration
Standard Meta Data Model:
Refers to the ASCII file format Used to represent the meta
data.
Standard Access Frame Work:
Describe the minimum number of API function.
Tool Profile:
Provides by tool vendor.
Mention the aspect of interchange standard meta model.
User Configuration:
Mention the interchange path.
Allow the customers to control the flow of meta data
from tool to tool
Meta Data Repository
Meta data is housed in and manages by meta data
repository.
Meta data repository management software can be used to
map the source data request to the target database,
generate code, integrate, transform the data control.
Meta data defines the location of data in the ware house,
business view relationships between operational data ware
house.
Meta data provides logic link between ware house and
application.
Provides decision support.
All access paths to the warehouse should have meta data as
an entry point.
Data warehouse should have a mechanism to populate and
maintain the repository.

Various paths available to the
warehouse
The data warehouse should not provide direct access.
Via meta data.
Benefits of data warehouse framework:
Provides a suite of tools for meta data management,
Reduces redundancy.
Reduces inconsistency.
Simplifies management.
Improves organization control.
Increases identification.
Understanding co-ordination.
Increase flexibility
Provides effective data management.
Enforces CASE development.

Meta Data Integration Points
Database
Database
Database
Data Extraction,
conversion,
migration tools
Warehouse
DBMS
Data movement
replication tools
Gate ways
Data
marts
Repository
Meta data
Data cleaning
Tools
Raw
data
Corrected
data
data
data
Computer
Computer
Meta data management
The data warehousing is the inability to communicate to the
end users.
The users and application should be provided with a road
map to the information stored the warehouse. The road map
is meta data.
Meta data defines all the elements, attributes, data sources,
timing and the rules that govern data use and the data
transformation.
Copy of meta data will be available to all tools.

Meta data should guide the users in data warehouse
Implementation Examples
Platinum technologies
R & O
Prism
Logic Works
1. Platinum Repository
Client/server repository
Open system solution
Allows the company to manage, maintain and access
corporate data application.
Users and data warehouse administrators can manage data
by the integration.
Platinum has a global data dictionary a data junction to all
corporate information
Gives a consistent view
Supported in OS/2 windows 95, NT, UNIX, Sun Solaris.

2. R & O Repository
Client/server repository
Supports many platforms.
Performance: sub second response time.
Scalability Laptop to mainframe
Capacity: support very large repository.
Drawback:
Meta data storage.
3. Prism
Prisms directory manager is meta data.
Import business models
Import meta data from ware house manager.
Export meta data into catalogs.
Create flexible customized views.
Directory manager has three components:
Information builder all entries
Directory builder meta data relationships
Directory navigator provides extensive view &
gives better understanding.
Prism directory manager answers
question like:
What data exists
Where to find data
What are the original sources of data.
Advantages of single integration point
Simplifies the population of data
Accuracy
Navigation and access is so easiest task.
4. Logic Works Universal Directory
Meta data repository tool
Acts as a hub
Centralizing meta data
Improves the way of managing.
Activities:
Inventorying source data
Designing the data warehouse
Mapping source to target data
Populating the ware house
Analyzing the data in the data warehouse
Evolving the data warehouse content.

Universal directory components
Universal explorer
Provides the users with a set of tools (browsing)
Act as a search engine
Allow the user to visualize the data warehouse
using STAR schema.
Directory administrator
Maintain security