Metadata Registries
A growing emphasis on standardizing the shareable information assets within an organization, and information interchange, both within and with external sources, is driving organizations to focus on their information architecture strategy.
Considering the wide spectrum of shareable information, the right information architecture is to setup a central repository - or a “virtual” central portal - which accounts for definitions, values (in some cases), and the change management processes around the quality of information being maintained. An alternative to creating a central repository is to create a central metadata registry – which provides an organization a more structured framework to work within, and also addresses the diversity inherent in shareable data assets.
Standards for models and templates for metadata registries already exist – for example, the ISO 11179 standard for Metadata Registries, Dublin Core, and ebXML for XML registries being a few. Depending on the complexity of the model, implementations of registries can be quite challenging.
What is a Metadata Registry?
A Metadata Registry is defined as an automated resource “used to describe, document, protect, control and access informational representations of an enterprise”. There are various interpretations of what is held in a metadata registry:
- Standardized information in a pre-defined model
- Metadata, system metadata, system engineering
- Reference information
A typical metadata registry has the following characteristics:
- A generic model to store all the information.
- A ‘formal’ registration process that allows elements or objects to be properly ‘registered’ (i.e. accepted) in the registry.
- Layered organization and responsibility structure for approvals and standardization.
- Strong stewardship and security controls.
- Different options to present the information to the users in order to facilitate the main objective of the registry i.e. information sharing.
- Extranet access (to facilitate data exchange).
Benefits of a Metadata Registry
- Provides the mechanisms for enabling global data acquisition and interchange, particularly across application areas. Data definitions and descriptions are precise to support reuse or multiple users of data.
- Documentation of data characteristics to support fully automated sharing of data, including locating, retrieving, and exchanging data.
- Provides uniform guidance for the identification, development, and description of elements and domains.
- Metadata registries provide universal means for organizing standard shareable elements thereby facilitating search, retrieval and optimal usage.
- Sets up common data standards between organizations. Exchange of data among organizations is facilitated with the common data standards.
Learn more about the OneData Metadata Registry solution with the ISO 11179 model.
Learn more about the OneData Metadata Registry solution with the 'Lite' model.