Metadata Solutions: Using Metamodels, Repositories, XML, and Enterprise Portals to Generate Information on Demand
by Adrienne Tannenbaum
"The book you are about to read is the essential guide, for once and for all making metadata management an intrinsic, immutable part of today's and tomorrow's information systems."
--Alan Simon, Deloitte Consulting, Data Warehousing Solutions Group
With the advent of data warehousing and the growing importance of data access through the Internet,
… See more details belowOverview
"The book you are about to read is the essential guide, for once and for all making metadata management an intrinsic, immutable part of today's and tomorrow's information systems."
--Alan Simon, Deloitte Consulting, Data Warehousing Solutions Group
With the advent of data warehousing and the growing importance of data access through the Internet, it is essential for all IT professionals to be familiar with metadata. Written by one of the world's foremost information technology experts, Metadata Solutions is a practical guide to understanding and using metadata as a gateway to information. This book serves as a blueprint for designing and implementing a metadata solution that effectively handles information access and exchange within and across organizations.
Metadata Solutions offers an enlightening overview of the role of metadata within current IT trends. The author provides detailed treatment of metadata, metamodels, meta-metadata, and meta-metamodel concepts and structures. She offers in-depth descriptions of specific metadata-based technologies and standards, featuring the benefits and drawbacks of each. With a practical approach, this book presents step-by-step instructions for implementing and maintaining a metadata solution, and provides sample solutions appropriate for a variety of informational needs and circumstances. Most important, it serves as a guide for organizations that are coping with metadata.
Coverage includes the following specific topics:
- A review of conventional approaches to information definition, design, and access (data modeling, databases, data warehousing)
- A renewed perspective on previous attempts at data management
- Identification and organization of metadata requirements without setting up yet another database
- Examination of vendor, standard, and custom metamodels
- The meta-metamodel and the impact of extensibility
- Metadata solution components, including stores and displays
- Types of metadata solutions, including repositories, XML-based exchange, and enterprise portals
- The metadata roles and standards of today and tomorrow
- Information about metadata security
- Organizational structures for creating, managing, and maintaining the metadata solution
- Ways to expand existing metadata solutions
- Sample metadata solution implementations
Numerous case studies, drawn from extensive industry experience, illustrate real-world applications of metadata techniques and concepts. A typical metadata disaster scenario, with associated implementation examples, will help you identify ways to avoid common pitfalls. With this book as your guide, you will be well prepared to explore, choose, implement, and maintain a metadata solution to transform your organization's data into a more accessible and valuable resource.
0201719762B07122001
Product Details
- ISBN-13:
- 9780201719765
- Publisher:
- Addison-Wesley
- Publication date:
- 08/01/2001
- Edition description:
- New Edition
- Pages:
- 528
- Product dimensions:
- 7.30(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.50(d)
Table of Contents
Foreword.
Preface.
Intended Audience.
How This Book is Organized.
Reading Paths.
Model Legend
What is your Objective?
Acknowledgements.
About the Author.
I. TODAY'S INFORMATION.
1. The Business Is Information.
Information Defined.
Evolution of Information.
The Role of Information.
Information Tunnels.
2. The Information in Today's Organization.
Information in Practice.
Information Sharing and Redundancy.
Supporting Intraorganization Information.
3. Information Outside the Organization.
That Famous Download.
The Data Vendors.
Information Exchange.
4. Integrating Our Data: Where the Repairs of the 1990s Broke Down.
Data Modeling: Does Anyone Remember What It Is?
The Data Management Organization.
Case Study: A Data Management Reintroduction—Ray McGlew, IMS Health.
Data Warehousing.
Introducing "Objects".
Is Our Information Integrated?
5. Identifying Today's Information: The Directories of the 1990s.
Off-the-Shelf Repositories.
Standalone Metadata Stores.
Internal Directories.
Case Study: Internal Directory Implementation in an Insurance Company—Christina Tom, Guardian Life Insurance.
Internal Web-Based Data Management.
Case Study: Using the Intranet to Provide Metadata Access at a Pharmaceutical Company—Cynthia Wiggins, Merck & Co., Inc.
6. A Disaster Crying for Solutions.
Anarchical Data Management.
The Data Warehouse Web.
Tools, Tools, and More Tools.
Metadata: The Silver Bullet.
II. METADATA AS PART OF THE SOLUTION.
7. Moving From Information to Metadata.
Comparing Information to Knowledge.
Defining Metadata.
Relating Information to Metadata.
Metadata Perspectives and Beneficiaries.
8. Identifying Metadata Requirements.
The Overall Metadata Requirements Process.
Identifying Metadata Beneficiaries.
Metadata by Beneficiary.
Metadata Sourcing.
9. Organizing Metadata Requirements.
Beginning the Architectural Planning Process.
Identifying the Metadata of Record.
Categorizing Metadata.
Looking Toward Metamodels.
10. Introducing Metamodels.
Moving from Metadata to Metamodels.
Defining the Metamodel.
Vendor versus Custom Metamodels.
Metamodel Extensibility.
11. Metamodels as a Piece of the Pie.
Defining the Metadata Solution.
Remembering the Objective.
Storing Metadata.
Accessing Metadata.
Metamodel and Metadata Relationships.
Sample Metamodels of Various Types.
III. ENTERING META-META LAND.
12. Meta-Metadata: What Metadata Means to a Tool.
The Tool's View of Metadata.
Meta-Metadata.
Storing Meta-Metadata.
Processing Meta-Metadata.
13. The Meta-Metamodel.
Organizing Metamodels.
Inside Meta-Meta Land.
Meta-Metamodels.
The Information Connection.
14. Introducing Repositories.
Repositories Defined.
The Generic Repository Architecture.
Essential Repository Characteristics.
Old versus New Repository Technology.
The Quasi-Repository.
Custom-Built Repositories.
Repository Examples.
15. Other Metadata-Based Technologies.
The Web.
File Management Systems.
Database Management Systems.
Object-Oriented Component Libraries.
Metadata Everywhere?
16. The Impact of Standards.
Internal Standards.
External Standards.
Is Anyone Really Following Them?
IV. BEGINNING THE METADATA SOLUTION PROCESS.
17. The Non-Metadata Factors—Group 1: The Nontechnical Environment.
Redefining the Metadata Solution.
Determining Readiness.
Scoping Your Metadata Solution.
The Solution's Impact on the Internal Environments.
Case Study: Non-Metadata Factors at a Chemical Company—Rachel Brownstein, CIBA Specialty Chemicals.
18. The Non-Metadata Factors—Group 2: The Technical Environment.
Revisiting the Multitool Architecture.
Determining Tool and Metadata Connections.
Presenting the Metadata.
Sharing the Metadata.
Reusing the Metadata.
Incorporating External Beneficiaries and Suppliers.
19. The Non-Metadata Factors—Group 3: Technical Support.
Administration.
Organization Responsibilities.
Staffing Requirements.
Organization Charts.
20. Determining the Right Solution.
No Metadata Stores, One Metadata Store, or Many?
Standard or Customized Metamodels.
Including or Excluding the Internet.
Buy, Build, or Both?
Case Study: Choosing XML as the Solution—Daniel Hayes and Ho-Chun Ho, PointandQuote.com.
V. SAMPLE METADATA SOLUTIONS.
21. A Typical Metadata Disaster.
Tools, Tools, and More Tools—Case Study Begins.
Objectives, Objectives, and More Objectives.
Metadata, Metadata, and More Metadata.
22. Metadata Solution 1: The Centralized Metadata Repository.
The Interaction of Basic Repository Components.
Repository-Based Processes.
23. Metadata Solution 2: An Integrated Architecture.
Metadata Solution Scope.
The Common Metamodel.
The Metadata Solution Architecture.
Using the Metadata Solution.
Maintaining the Metadata Solution.
24. Metadata Solution 3: The Information Directory.
Information Directory versus Enterprise Protal.
The Directory Metamodel.
Populating the Directory.
Directory Access.
25. Metadata Solution 4: Metadata Interexchange.
A Common Metamodel.
Standardizing Metadata Values.
Scoping the Metadata and Tools Architecture.
Metadata Sources, Target Interfaces, and Translation.
26. Metadata Solution 5: A Standalone Metadata Store.
Defining the Limited Scope.
Designing the Metamodel.
Populating the Metamodel.
Preparing Metadata Accessibility.
Maintaining Metadata.
27. Metadata Solution 6: Building an Enterprise Portal.
Product Architecture.
The Portal Metamodel.
Applying a Portal to the Typical Metadata Disaster.
IV. MAINTAINING THE METADATA SOLUTION.
28. Metadata Responsibilities.
IT and End-User Responsibility Breakdown.
Suggested Organization Structures.
29. Ensuring Metadata's Livelihood.
Adding the Functionality and Contents of Additional Metadata Stores.
Keeping the Architecture in Place.
Phased Implementation.
Revising IT Processes.
30. Metadata Is No Longer a Runner Up.
Current Tasks to Ensure an Organization's Metadata Readiness.
Short-Term Metadata Objectives.
Long-Term Metadata-Based Goals.
Business Strategy and IT Collaboration.
If Not Now, When?
Appendix A: Glossary.
Appendix B: Additional Readings.
Index 0201719762T04172001
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