| Types and Level of Details in Metadata Repository (inspiration source – Gartner, but it's different)
We have shared one view of metadata in terms of the business and technical meta-data. The purpose of giving this different view is to help the readers, define the contents of the meta-data. This will also give you the comprehensiveness of the metadata in its ideal form.
The Meta-Data in terms of type (OR aspect) and level of detail, works as a two dimensional matrix, with each cell in this matrix as the combination of the level of detail and the type. If you follow this matrix you will ideally not miss any metadata component. This is a high level of detail. As you store the metadata objects in a standard way, you will be defining your metadata models. In simple words- these models are structures of the tables in the metadata database, which will be more detailed. The metadata management models will be covered in a separate chapter as we create more content on this subject.
Level of Detail
- Contextual: This provides the back-ground to the meta-data object and its various aspects. It provides a general ground setting and the ‘unstructured’ knowledge one needs to have as one goes into the next level of details.
- Conceptual: This provides the description and high-level detail about the object. For example detailed description of the business process OR Data structure
- Logical: This provides logical level details on the metadata object. For example detailed business process diagram OR Detailed Data model
- Physical: This provides the physical level details of the metadata object. For example detailed business process, like the person responsible for a process, the location at which the business process is executed.
- Implementation: This provides the execution and implementation details of the metadata object. For example, the implementation details of a business process- Who carries out the process..?
Aspect of Meta-Data
- Function: The functional details of the metadata object. For example the functional specs of the business process.
- Timing: When a particular metadata object is executed,
- Location: Where the metadata object is executed from OR where it is stored OR maintained
- History and version change: What has been the history OR creation OR changes?
- Ownership: Who owns the various activities done with the meta-data object?
- Security: Security matrix around the metadata object
Examples of combinations of Level + Type
The example of the types and level of detail matrix- We are sharing this matrix in the bulleted form as in table form, it would have become too crowded. We will have level of detail as the starting anchor and the type & aspect as the sub-anchor. Each of the combination of level + type will have an example for ‘Data’ OR of a ‘Business Process’ on the random basis.
Contextual Metadata Level
Contextual + Functional: Purpose of the business process, How it fits into the overall business process framework? What is the importance and criticality of the business process to the business?
Contextual + Timing: Why the timing is important for various operations on the data? What happens, if the data is not processed as per the given timing?
Contextual + Location: Why the location is important for storing the business process?
Contextual + History and version Change: What is back-ground of the changes done to this structure? Why those changes were needed and what was their criticality?
Contextual + Ownership: What is the strategy behind defining the ownership the way it is?
Contextual + Security: Why we have defined the security in a given way? What happens, if the security is not followed?
Conceptual Metadata Level
Conceptual + Function: The high level description and detail of the business process. For example a level 1 and 0 of the business process documentation. More focus on commentary than the diagram.
Conceptual + Timing: What is the high level timing of various operations done on the data (online operation vs. batch-operations, prior to certain set of operations, key linkages with other operations...)
Conceptual + Location: High level description of the location of the data structure. Is the data stored in different locations (data table partitioned and stored in different locations)?
Conceptual+ History and Version Change: High Level detail on the changes done to the data structure and associated business rules? When were the major changes done? What was the purpose behind each change? Did that change include a large migration?
Conceptual+ Ownership: Who is the owner of the business process? Why is he the owner of the business process? Who are the owners of the sub-processes, and why? What are the rights and responsibilities of the owners?
Conceptual+ Security: What are principles followed for defining the security matrix for the given data table OR data group?
Logical Metadata Level
Logical + Function: Functional specs of the business process to the last level of detail.
Logical + Timing: Business specs on the various timings on operations done on the data. For example, when will the commission calculations on the commissions table to be applied? The business specs should also cover the reasoning behind these timings.
Logical + Location: Details on business location of the business process documentation. This includes the paper copies of the process, the copies on the website, image scans etc.
Logical + Ownership: The details on business and IT ownership of the data, and the purpose and reasoning behind the ownership.
Logical + Security: The details on the business and IT security matrix, and the reasoning.
Physical Metadata Level:
Physical + Function: Program specs for the automated business process.
Physical + Timing: Timing of execution of each component of the data. For example, the timings and the triggers which lead to access, updation and addition to the data.
Physical + Location: The drawers, the website servers, the network drivers where the master copies of the business process are lying.
Physical + History and version: The history of the migration and changes done to the data table.
Physical+ ownership: The ownership of the data in terms of business owner, where does he sit OR located, the contact details. Same information should be available about the IT owner. Also define the back-up and the other stakeholders.
Physical+ Security: The access security matrix at the server, column, row and table level, for different operations (accessing, updating, adding...)
Implementation Metadata Level:
Implementation + function: Actual program specs for creating the data.
Implementation + Timing: Implementation process for executing the business process.
Implementation + Location: The place where the table creation will be run.
Implementation + History: The history of changes done to the table structure.
Implementation + Ownership: Who will do the table creation?
Implementation + Security: Who has the access to create and test the table structure once a change is done?
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