Chapter 13. Warehouse Metadata
Metadata have traditionally been defined as data about data. While such a catchy statement may not seem very helpful, it is actually quite appropriate as a definition—metadata are a form of abstration that describes the structure and contents of the data warehouse.
Metadata Are a Form of Abstration
It is fairly easy to apply abstraction on concrete, tangible items. Information technology professionals do this all the time when they design operational systems. A concrete product is abstracted and described by its properties (i.e., data attributes)—for example, name, color, weight, size, price. A person can also be abstracted and described through his name, age, gender, occupation, etc.
Abstraction complexity increases ...
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