Compass metadata management
Self-service analytics for technical and nontechnical users alike
Users don't have to be technically advanced to contribute to data discovery.
Compass is a web-based, user-friendly tool that opens a window into the data warehouse and enhances it with the subjective knowledge of those who know the data best.
A Google-like keyword search combs each data mart, table, and column in the metadata repository to see:
- The source and lineage of data
- How often it's updated
- Data examples, samples, and types
- Descriptions of the physical data tables and columns
- Any known data quality issues
- Contact information for data stewards
Making data meaningful
When metadata is mapped in the data warehouse, Clearpath's experts use their extensive knowledge of the source system to change all the cryptic source system names into ones reflecting the way humans think. All of that data goes in the metadata repository so users can search and browse it in Compass.
Wisdom of the crowd
Compass's wiki-style contribution model encourages users to:
- Add notes about data and data sources
- Review and refine metadata in the data warehouse
- Create and edit descriptions for objects in the data warehouse
- Make comments
- Create a self-sufficient community
Data stewardship through subject-matter expertise
System administrators designate a data steward (a knowledge expert in a particular data mart) as its primary owner. Besides managing access rights, data stewards also evaluate and improve data quality and answer users' questions about the data.
Always up to date
Data in the warehouse updates daily, and an RSS feed alerts users of changes.