OneData incorporates extensive functionality with hundreds of features - in a modular, pluggable architecture, allowing you to choose the components you need to use, and substitute your enterprise standards/tools where possible.

The Repository

The OneData repository is the store for all data, definitions, structures, processes and rules. In addition to the data stored physically in the repository, OneData can also act as a "virtual" portal for data in remote databases and applications, providing the user interface to manage and govern the external data.

There are three distinct areas, or schemas, in a OneData repository: an internal OneData Metadata area, a Work area and a Release area. The metadata area controls the behavior of the application; its contents include configuration settings for the presentation layer (user interface), user accounts and authorizations, workflow and process flow configuration, and so on. The work and release areas contain the customer's data. Data authoring and changes are performed in the work area, which are subsequently moved to the release area after the required workflow approvals are obtained.

A defining aspect of OneData is that all three database schemas - metadata, work and release - are stored without any proprietary structures. This makes the repository, including the internal metadata, open to third party tools - assuming the right privileges have been provided.

Presentation Layer (User Interface) for Business Users

OneData solutions are designed to be as much business (non-technical) applications as tools for IT. The presentation layer allows the complexity of the underlying data and technical details to be hidden from the business user, and presented in business terms. The easy-to-use, browser-based user interface is metadata-driven and generated automatically by OneData based on the underlying data model. The UI can subsequently be modified and fine-tuned easily based on business requirements. Therefore any changes to the data model are immediately reflected in the user interface.

Extensive Data Management Feature Set

A vast array of data management features are available to browse and maintain the repository contents, whether stored locally or in external databases, including filter/search, insert/ copy/ edit/ delete/ restore, multiple-column sort, and print/email, all within the context of the security framework. Business-critical hierarchical structures of various types (self-recursive and network-recursive hierarchies) can be created and managed with the front end.

Data Governance and Stewardship

Stewardship controls, change management, workflow and data quality are some of the key components that bring together a comprehensive data governance framework. In order to ensure ongoing data quality, it is critical to engage the data owners (typically, the business users), and this is enabled by the automated workflow processes, change request forums and email notifications - all integrated with data changes - providing the environment for the stakeholders to collaborate and ensure ongoing data quality.

Model Configurator to Import and Build the Open, Extensible Data Model

The versatility of OneData comes from being able to accommodate your data model, including complex structures such as hierarchies, recursive relationships, and cross-references. You can use the pre-built template models or import your existing models. OneData provides the semantic business layer to build an "object" from several independent database tables or partition a table as an object.

High Volume Acquisition and Deployment

A high volume pipeline for both data acquisition and deployment give users the ability to import and export data in and out of OneData in a scalable manner. The flexible deployment capabilities distribute the repository contents to subscribing systems, enabling quick alignment of all applications without any programming. Distribution techniques available include Messaging, XML, direct updates, and email or file transfer.

Role-based Security and External Authentication

Security is role-based and very fine-grained, with the ability to control object-level, column-level as well as row-level access to data - essentially providing the ability to control cell-level access. OneData functionality is security-based as well, the roles determining who has access to what functionality. External authentication via LDAP or Windows Active Directory is supported.

Business Rules and Process Modeling

One aspect of OneData, called iHooks, is a way to invoke validation routines, interactive process flow wizards and post-action events such as data manipulation and workflow approval. It is an extensive framework that allows extensibility of the application either with stored procedures or Java RMI functions.

Beginning with Release 6, a process flow builder is available in OneData that enable you to graphically build process flows, eliminating the need to code the functionality.

API, Messaging and Web Services

OneData provides the capability to use asynchronous messaging by being able to read data from and write to messaging queues (point-to-point) as well as messaging topics (publish-subscribe) in systems such as Websphere MQ and Weblogic JMS, using JMS (Java Messaging Service) technology. OneData exposes a set of API and Web Services functions to read/write from/to OneData as well as execute various OneData actions (such as OneData jobs, execute reports).

Information Hub for Enterprise Integration

The ability to manage data in external databases, along with the numerous integration options and technologies available enable OneData to quickly be developed as an information hub. Publish/subscribe messaging, and various distribution types (remote database updates, JMS, XML, SQL, and text files) are available. OneData can be a key component of enterprise information integration initiatives and the authoritative source of all enterprise non-transactional data.

What is the OneData Value Proposition?