Metadata Retrospective Todd Moore Metadata Special Interest Group – January 9, 2006

Why is Metadata Important? Documentation Impact analysis Mapping Standards Communication Legacy blueprinting Data modelling OK – So what?

Why is Metadata Important? $$$ COST! $$$ –Investigation – Trust! How was this derived? –Duplication and Rework If you do not know what you have – you to do it again and again and again … –Understanding What does this report mean? –Attrition and Training Departing Employees – Human Repositories New employees

Why is Metadata Important? “Metadata is the information and documentation which makes data understandable and shareable for users over time.” (Source ISO Annex B) “Data remain useable, shareable, and understandable as long as the metadata remain accessible.” (Source ISO Annex B) Metadata exists without the computer. Language cannot exists without metadata.

Metadata - A Necessity Of Life? Everybody uses Metadata every day – It is used to describe the data that we process throughout our daily activities It’s there It’s used Nobody realizes they need it until it’s not there… … then they go hunting for it Then along comes the computer…

Types of Metadata Technical Metadata –Programs, JCL, interfaces, elements classes, relationships Business metadata –Data dictionary, processes, procedures Generated metadata –Finding more metadata within the metadata

What Now?

Data is an ASSET! –Manage and maintain it like one. Maintain the metadata like you maintain your data asset. –Metadata is a reflection of your data. Invest in metadata for the long term. –There is no short term fix Apply resources. –This is not a part time endeavour.

Finally Once you have a Managed Metadata Environment… You will wonder how you ever did business without it.