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Data Warehousing: Engr. Madeha Mushtaq Department of Computer Science Iqra National University

This document discusses metadata in data warehousing. It defines metadata as data about data, and explains that metadata is stored in a metadata repository. Metadata provides information to end users about the structure and contents of the data warehouse, and provides technical information to IT professionals about the design and processes of the data warehouse like extraction, transformation and loading of data. Different types of metadata are classified by the functional areas of data acquisition, data storage and information delivery. Metadata plays a vital role in automating and integrating various data warehouse processes.

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Nusrat Ullah
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49 views

Data Warehousing: Engr. Madeha Mushtaq Department of Computer Science Iqra National University

This document discusses metadata in data warehousing. It defines metadata as data about data, and explains that metadata is stored in a metadata repository. Metadata provides information to end users about the structure and contents of the data warehouse, and provides technical information to IT professionals about the design and processes of the data warehouse like extraction, transformation and loading of data. Different types of metadata are classified by the functional areas of data acquisition, data storage and information delivery. Metadata plays a vital role in automating and integrating various data warehouse processes.

Uploaded by

Nusrat Ullah
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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DATA WAREHOUSING

LECTURE 4

ENGR. MADEHA MUSHTAQ


DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE
IQRA NATIONAL UNIVERSITY
META DATA

• Metadata in a data warehouse contains the answers to questions about


the data in the data warehouse.
• We keep the answers in a place called the metadata repository.
• Here is a sample list of definitions of Metadata:
META DATA

• Data about the data


• Table of contents for the data
• Catalog for the data
• Data warehouse roadmap
• Data warehouse directory
• Glue that holds the data warehouse contents together
WHO NEEDS METADATA?

• Imagine a filing cabinet stuffed with documents without any folders and
labels.
• Without metadata, your data warehouse is like such a filing cabinet.
• It is probably filled with information very useful for your users and for IT
developers and administrators.
• But without any easy means to know what is there, the data warehouse is of
very limited value.
WHO NEEDS METADATA?
METADATA IS LIKE A NERVE CENTER

• Various processes during the building and administering of the data


warehouse generate parts of the data warehouse metadata.
• Parts of metadata generated by one process are used by another.
• In the data warehouse, metadata assumes a key position and enables
communication among various processes. It acts like a nerve center in the
data warehouse.
METADATA IS LIKE A NERVE CENTER
WHY METADATA IS VITAL FOR END-USERS

Figure shows the


types of information
metadata provides to
the end-users and the
purposes for which
they need these types
of information.
WHY METADATA IS ESSENTIAL FOR IT

For performing the responsibilities for design and administration, IT


must have access to proper metadata.
AUTOMATION OF WAREHOUSING TASKS

• As the data movement takes place from the data sources to the data
warehouse database through the data staging area, several processes occur.
• In a typical data warehouse, appropriate tools assist in these processes.
• Each tool records its own metadata as data movement takes place.
• The metadata recorded by one tool drives one or more processes that
follow. This is how metadata assumes an active role and assists in the
automation of data warehouse processes.
AUTOMATION OF WAREHOUSING TASKS

• Here is a list of back-end processes shown in the order in which they generally
occur:
• Source data structure definition
• Data extraction
• Initial reformatting/merging
• Preliminary data cleansing
• Data transformation and consolidation
• Validation and quality check
• Data warehouse structure definition
• Load image creation
AUTOMATION OF WAREHOUSING TASKS

Metadata drives data warehouse processes


METADATA TYPES BY FUNCTIONAL AREAS

• Classification of metadata types by the functional areas in the data warehouse:


• Data acquisition
• Data storage
• Information delivery
DATA ACQUISITION

• In this area, the data warehouse processes relate to the following functions:
• Data extraction
• Data transformation
• Data cleansing
• Data integration
• Data staging
DATA ACQUISITION

Figure shows metadata types recorded and used in the data acquisition area.
DATA STORAGE

• In this area, the data warehouse processes relate to the following functions:
• Data loading
• Data archiving
• Data management
DATA STORAGE

• Just as in the other areas, as processes take place in the data storage
functional area, the appropriate tools record the metadata elements relating
to the processes.
• Metadata recorded by processes in the data storage area is used for
development, administration, and by the users.
• You will be using the metadata from this area for designing the full data
refreshes and the incremental data loads.
• The DBA will be using metadata for the processes of backup and recovery.
INFORMATION DELIVERY

• In this area, the data warehouse processes relate to the following functions:
• Report generation
• Query processing
• Complex analysis
INFORMATION DELIVERY

• Mostly, the processes in this area are meant for end-users.


• While using the processes, end-users generally use metadata recorded in
processes of the other two areas of data acquisition and data storage.
• The user can find the date of the last full refresh and the incremental loads
for various tables in the data warehouse database.
• Generally, metadata recorded in the information delivery functional area
relate to predefined queries, predefined reports, and input parameter
definitions for queries and reports.
INFORMATION DELIVERY

Figure shows metadata types recorded and used in the information delivery area.
METADATA TYPES

• Metadata types may also be classified as business metadata and technical


metadata.
• This is another effective method of classifying metadata types because the
nature and format of metadata in one group are markedly different from those
in the other group.
BUSINESS METADATA

• Business metadata connects your business users to your data warehouse.


• Business users need to know what is available in the data warehouse from a
perspective different from that of IT professionals like you.
• Business metadata is like a roadmap or an easy-to-use information directory
showing the contents and how to get there.
• It is like a tour guide for executives and a route map for managers and business
analysts.
TECHNICAL METADATA

• Technical metadata is meant for the IT staff responsible for the development
and administration of the data warehouse.
• The technical personnel need information to design each process.
• These are processes in every functional area of the data warehouse.
• Technical metadata is more structured than business metadata.
METADATA REPOSITORY

• Think of a metadata repository as a general-purpose information directory


or cataloguing device to classify, store, and manage metadata.
• The metadata repository can be thought of as two distinct information
directories, one to store business metadata and the other to store technical
metadata.
• This division may also be logical within a single physical repository.
METADATA REPOSITORY
END OF SLIDES

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