Metadata repository

A metadata repository is a database

created to store metadata. Metadata is
information about the structures that
contain the actual data. Metadata is
often said to be "data about data", but
this is misleading. Data profiles are an
example of actual "data about data".
Metadata adds one layer of abstraction
to this definition– it is data about the
structures that contain data. Metadata
may describe the structure of any data,
of any subject, stored in any format.

A well-designed metadata repository

typically contains data far beyond simple
definitions of the various data
structures. Typical repositories store
dozens to hundreds of separate pieces of
information about each data structure.

Comparing the metadata of a couple data

items - one digital and one physical -
clarify what metadata is:

First, digital: For data stored in a

database one may have a table called
"Patient" with many columns, each
containing data which describes a
different attribute of each patient. One
of these columns may be named
"Patient_Last_Name". What is some of
the metadata about the column that
contains the actual surnames of patients
in the database? We have already used
two items: the name of the column that
contains the data (Patient_Last_Name)
and the name of the table that contains
the column (Patient). Other metadata
might include the maximum length of
last name that may be entered, whether
or not last name is required (can we
have a patient without
Patient_Last_Name?), and whether the
database converts any surnames entered
in lower case to upper case. Metadata of
a security nature may show the
restrictions which limit who may view
these names.

Second, physical: For data stored in a

brick and mortar library, one have many
volumes and may have various media,
including books. Metadata about books
would include ISBN, Binding_Type,
Page_Count, Author, etc. Within
Binding_Type, metadata would include
possible bindings, material, etc.
This contextual information of business
data include meaning and content,
policies that govern, technical attributes,
specifications that transform, and
programs that manipulate.[1]:171

Definition
The metadata repository is responsible
for physically storing and cataloging
metadata. Data in a metadata repository
should be generic, integrated, current,
and historical. Generic: Meta model
should store the metadata by generic
terms instead of storing it by an
applications-specific defined way, so that
if your data base standard changes from
one product to another the physical meta
model of the metadata repository would
not need to change. Integration of the
metadata repository allows all business
areas' metadata to be in an integrated
fashion: Covering all domains and subject
areas of the organization. The metadata
repository should have accessible current
and historical metadata.[2] Metadata
repositories used to be referred to as a
data dictionary.[1]:239

With the transition of needs for the

metadata usage for business intelligence
has increased so is the scope of the
metadata repository increased. Earlier
data dictionaries are the closest place to
interact technology with business. Data
dictionaries are the universe of metadata
repository in the initial stages but as the
scope increased Business glossary and
their tags to variety of status flags
emerged in the business side while
consumption of the technology metadata,
their lineage and linkages made the
repository, the source for valuable
reports to bring business and technology
together and helped data management
decisions easier as well as assess the cost
of the changes.
Metadata repository explores the
enterprise wide data governance, data
quality and master data management
(includes master data and reference
data) and integrates this wealth of
information with integrated metadata
across the organization to provide
decision support system for data
structures, even though it only reflects
the structures consumed from various
systems.

Repository vs. registry

Repository has additional functionalities
compared with registry. Metadata
repository not only stores metadata like
Metadata registry but also adds
relationships with related metadata
types. Metadata when related in a flow
from its point of entry into organization
up to the deliverables is considered as
the lineage of that data point. Metadata
when related across other related
metadata types is called linkages. By
providing the relationships to all the
metadata points across the organization
and maintaining its integrity with an
architecture to handle the changes,
metadata repository provides the basic
material for understanding the complete
data flow and their definitions and their
impact. Also the important feature is to
maintain the version control though this
statement for contrasting is open for
discussion. These definitions are still
evolving, so the accuracy of the
definitions needs refinement.

The purpose of registry is to define the

metadata element and maintained
across the organization. And data models
and other data management teams refer
to the registry for any changes to follow.
While Metadata repository sources
metadata from various metadata
systems in the organizations and reflects
what is in the upstream. Repository
never acts as an upstream while registry
is used as an upstream for metadata
changes.

Reason for use

Metadata repository enables all the
structure of the organizations data
containers to one integrated place. This
opens plethora of resourceful
information for making calculated
business decisions. This tool uses one
generic form of data model to integrate
all the models thus brings all the
applications and programs of the
organization into one format. And on top
of it applying the business definitions and
business processes brings the business
and technology closer that will help
organizations make reliable roadmaps
with definite goals. With one stop
information, business will have more
control on the changes, and can do
impact analysis of the tool. Usually
business spends much time and money to
make decisions based on discovery and
research on impacts to make changes or
to add new data structures or remove
structures in data management of the
organization. With a structured and well
maintained repository, moving the
product from ideation to delivery takes
the least amount of time (considering
other variables are constant). To sum it
up:

1. Integration of the metadata across

the organization.
2. Build relationship between various
metadata types
3. Build relationship between various
disparate systems.
4. Define business golden copy of
definitions.
5. Version control of the changes at
structure level.
6. interaction with Reference data
 7. link view to master data.
8. automatic synchronization with
various authorized metadata source
systems.
9. More control to business decisions.
10. validate the structures by
overlapping the models
11. discovering discrepancies, gaps,
lineage, metrics at data structure
level.

Each database management system

(DBMS) and database tools have their own
language for the metadata components
within. Database applications already
have their own repositories or registries
that are expected to provide all of the
necessary functionality to access the
data stored within. Vendors do not want
other companies to be capable of easily
migrating data away from their
products and into competitors products,
so they are proprietary with the way
they handle metadata. CASE tools, DBMS
dictionaries, ETL tools, data cleansing
tools, OLAP tools, and data mining tools
all handle and store metadata
differently. Only a metadata repository
can be designed to store the metadata
components from all of these tools.[3]

Design
Metadata repositories should store
metadata in four classifications:
ownership, descriptive characteristics,
rules and policies, and physical
characteristics. Ownership, showing the
data owner and the application owner.
The descriptive characteristics, define
the names, types and lengths, and
definitions describing business data or
business processes. Rules and policies,
will define security, data cleanliness,
timelines for data, and relationships.
Physical characteristics define the origin
or source, and physical location.[1]:176
Like building a logical data model for
creating a database, a logical meta
model can help identify the metadata
requirements for business data.[1]:185 The
metadata repository will be centralized,
decentralized, or distributed. A
centralized design means that there is
one database for the metadata
repository that stores metadata for all
applications business wide. A centralized
metadata repository has the same
advantages and disadvantages of a
centralized database. Easier to manage
because all the data is in one database,
but the disadvantage is that bottlenecks
may occur.
A decentralized metadata repository
stores metadata in multiple databases,
either separated by location and or
departments of the business. This makes
management of the repository more
involved than a centralized metadata
repository, but the advantage is that the
metadata can be broken down into
individual departments.

A distributed metadata repository uses a

decentralized method, but unlike a
decentralized metadata repository the
metadata remains in its original
application. An XML gateway is
created[1]:246 that acts as a directory for
accessing the metadata within each
different application. The advantages and
disadvantages for a distributed
metadata repository mirror that of a
distributed database.

Design of information model should

include various layers of metadata types
to be overlapped to create an integrated
view of the data. Various metadata types
should be stitched with related metadata
elements in a top down model linking to
business glossary.

Layers of Metadata:
1. Business Glossary: contains
recursive relationship to Business
terms.
2. Business tags: Contains various
affiliation to that term or terms.
3. Data Dictionary: contains
information from data model tools
for the definition of metadata
elements and their technical
definitions provided by data or
enterprise architecture.
4. Conceptual data models:
5. Logical data models
6. Physical data models
7. Databases
 8. validation rules and data quality
rules
9. ETL, business rules and their
relationship to attributes and
entities
10. Reports
11. Source to target mapping artifacts
(relationships)
12. Reporting requirements
(relationships)
13. business processes and their
relationship to technology
14. people hierarchy and their
relationship
15. owner relationship
Entity-Relationship/Object-
Oriented
E…

Metadata repositories can be designed as

either an Entity-relationship model, or
an Object-oriented design.

See also
Metadata
Metadata registry
Metadata standards
ISO/IEC 11179
Data dictionary
Data modeling
References
1. Moss, L. T.; Atre, S. (2003). Business
Intelligence Roadmap: The Complete
Project Lifecycle for Decision-
Support Applications . Addison-
Wesley Professional. ISBN 0-201-
78420-3.
2. Marco, D.; Jennings, M. (2004).
Universal Metadata Models . Wiley.
pp. 36 –43. ISBN 0-471-08177-9.
3. Marco, D. (2000). Building and
Managing the Metadata Repository: A
Full Lifecycle Guide. Wiley.
ISBN 978-0471355236.
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