DB2 Cube Views: A Primer

272 DB2 Cube Views: A Primer

8.1 Ascential MetaStage product overview

MetaStage is the platform services component of the Ascential Enterprise

Integration Suite shown in Figure 8-1, responsible for management of metadata.

MetaStage is a persistent metadata Directory that uniquely synchronizes

metadata across multiple separate silos, eliminating rekeying and the manual

establishment of cross-tool relationships. Based on patented technology, it

provides seamless cross-tool integration throughout the entire Business

Intelligence and data integration lifecycle and toolsets. MetaStage provides full

investment protection that reduces the guesswork associated with iterative

updates, allowing you to assess the impact of change, and understand the full

meaning (and potential) of your data without ambiguity.

Figure 8-1 Ascential Enterprise Integration Suite

MetaStage provides a new approach to the management of metadata.

Regardless of your architecture, MetaStage lets you develop a high-quality

enterprise resource over which you have real control.

This innovative architecture consists of five major software components:

1. MetaStage Directory:

The MetaStage Directory is a server-side database that is configured by the

MetaStage administrator, and utilized by the rest of the MetaStage clients and

Ascential Enterprise Integration Suite

Parallel Execution Engine

DISCOVER

DISCOVER

Discover

data

content

and

structure

PREPARE

PREPARE

Standardize,

match, and

correct data

TRANSFORM

TRANSFORM

Transform,

enrich, and

deliver data

ProfileStage

ProfileStage

QualityStage

QualityStage

DataStage

DataStage

Meta Data Management

Enterprise Connectivity

Real-time Integration Services

Enterprise Connectivity

Chapter 8. Using Ascential MetaStage and the DB2 Cube Views MetaBroker 273

external applications. Ascential's patented translation and identity technology

— advanced Meta Model embedded within MetaStage and MetaBrokers —

can decompose any tools' capabilities into the metadata equivalent of the

Periodic Table of Elements. As MetaStage fundamentally understands what

each tool requires at the atomic level, it can easily recompose metadata for

any other tool that shares common atoms (or concepts) on demand. Ascential

calls this atomic level representation and commonality technique

semantic

overlap

. This also enables MetaStage to automatically recognize whether a

metadata asset within the metamodel is, in fact, the same thing.

MetaStage Directory is capable of sourcing, sharing, storing, and reconciling

a comprehensive spectrum of metadata:

a. Business metadata: Business rules, definitions, business domains, terms,

glossaries, algorithms and lineage information using business language

(for business users).

b. Technical metadata: Defines source and target systems, and their table

and fields structures and attributes, derivations and dependencies (for

specific users of Business Intelligence, OLAP, ETL, Data Profiling, and ER

Modeling tools).

c. Operational metadata: Information about operational application execution

(events) and their frequency, record counts, component-by-component

analysis, and other related granular statistics (for operations,

management, and business users).

d. Project metadata: Documents and audits development efforts, assigns

stewards, and handles change management (for operations, stewards,

tool users, and management).

Since all of the Directory's objects are versioned, a complete chronological

audit trail of events is provided. An administrator can roll back a Directory to a

known point in time, or consolidate it for optimal operational efficiency. As

companies usually span multiple time zones and territories, the entire

MetaStage deliverable is National Language Support (NLS) and Unicode

enabled. Multi-tiered access with roles such as administrator, developer,

subscriber and steward can be configured to ensure that the right metadata is

delivered to the right person, at the right time — either singularly, or

integrated with corporate directories such as LDAP.

2. MetaBrokers and MetaArchitect:

Using MetaStage and its MetaBrokers, your company can leverage

best-of-class modeling, data profiling, data quality, ETL, OLAP and Business

Intelligence tools and be assured of protecting its investment.

Ascential's high fidelity and round-trip integrity approach leverages each

tool's true metadata format and meaning, enabling you to exploit the full value