Data Warehouse Center Application Integration Guide

Information Catalog Manager metadata models

The following sections describe the Information Catalog Manager metadata models. Model for Information Catalog Manager system tables describes the relationships between Information Catalog Manager system tables. Logical metadata model describes the relationships between objects in the Information Catalog Manager object type categories.

Model for Information Catalog Manager system tables

The following illustrations show the relationships between the different Information Catalog Manager system tables as well as the object-type tables. For example, a relationship can be a join between two columns. The following Information Catalog Manager system tables are not related to the other system tables:

FLG.PARMS
FLG.HISTORY
FLG.USERS
FLG.EXCHANGE
FLG.CHECKPT

See the notes following this figure for each numbered relationship.

Figure 22. Information Catalog Manager system tables

Notes to Figure 22

The relationship between the two tables exists when the values in the OBJTYPID columns of the tables are equal. The relationship is a join between the two tables based on the OBJTYPID column.
The relationship between the two tables exists when the values in the OBJTYPID columns of the tables are equal. The relationship is a join between the two tables based on the OBJTYPID column.
The relationship between the two tables exists when the values in the DPNAME and HANDLES columns of the tables are equal. The relationship is a join between the two tables based on the DPNAME and HANDLES columns.
The relationship between the tables is derived from the PTNAME and CREATOR columns of the FLG.OBJTYREG table, and the physical name of the FLG.COMMENTS table.
For example, in Figure 23, the first entry in the PTNAME column is COMMENTS, and the first entry in the CREATOR column is FLG. Together these values form the fully qualified FLG.COMMENTS table name.

Figure 23. Relationship between table FLG.OBJTYREG and the object type table
The relationship between the FLG.OBJTYPREG table and an object type table is derived by concatenating the PTNAME and CREATOR columns of the FLG.OBJTYPREG table. The resulting name is the name of the object type table.
For example in Figure 23, the second entry in the PTNAME column is PRESENT, and the second entry in the CREATOR column is DGADMIN. Together these values form the fully qualified name DGADMIN.PRESENT.
If a relationship is of type A (attaches), the relationship that is stored in the FLG.ATCHREL table is derived by concatenating the object type ID and instance ID of a source table with the object type and instance ID of a target table.
For example, in Figure 24, the object type and instance ID for DGADMIN.PRESENT are concatenated in the source column of the FLG.ATCHREL table. The concatenated object type and instance ID of the associated comment attached to the presentation object in DGADMIN.PRESENT are stored in the target column.

Figure 24. Relationship between FLG.ATCHREL table, source, and target
The relationship between each pair of tables is derived from the FLGID of the tables. The FLGID represents the concatenation of the OBJTYPID column and the INSTIDNT column of the tables.
The relationship stored in FLG.RELINST is for the following relationships: Contains, Link, and Contact. (See Logical metadata model for more information on object category relationships.) The relationship is derived from the FLGID columns of the source table and the target table. See Predefined Information Catalog Manager object types for more information on Information Catalog Manager object types.
The relationship between each pair of tables is derived from the FLGID of the two tables. There might be multiple rows of data in the FLG.OVERDESC table. If so, the rows are sequenced by the SEQNO column of the FLG.OVERDESC table.

Logical metadata model

Every object type must belong to an Information Catalog Manager category. An object type's category affects how the Information Catalog Manager handles it. The following list describes the object types that you can create in each of the Information Catalog Manager categories:

Grouping: Object types that can contain other object types.
Elemental: Non-Grouping object types that are the building blocks for other Information Catalog Manager object types.
Contact: Object types that identify a reference for more information about an object. More information might include the name of the person who created the information that the object represents, or the department responsible for maintaining the information.
Program: A Programs object type that identifies and describes applications capable of processing the actual information represented by Information Catalog Manager objects types. The only object type that belongs to the Program category is the Programs object type, which is defined when you create an information catalog.
Dictionary: Object types that define terminology that is specific to your business.
Support: Object types that provide additional information about your information catalog or enterprise.
Attachment: A Comments object type that identifies additional information attached to another Information Catalog Manager object. The only object type that belongs to the Attachment category is the Comments object type, which is defined when you create an information catalog.

Table 75 summarizes the relationships among the Information Catalog Manager object type categories. Figure 25 shows a graphical representation of the relationships.

Table 75. Information Catalog Manager category relationships

Category Can contain/is contained by Links with Contacts associated Comments attached Programs launch from
Grouping Contains other Grouping or Elemental objects Other Grouping or Elemental objects Yes Yes Yes
Elemental Contained by any Grouping object Other Grouping or Elemental objects Yes Yes Yes
Contact None None No Yes Yes
Program None None No Yes No
Dictionary None None No Yes Yes
Support None None No Yes Yes
Attachment None None No No Yes

Category	Can contain/is contained by	Links with	Contacts associated	Comments attached	Programs launch from
Grouping	Contains other Grouping or Elemental objects	Other Grouping or Elemental objects	Yes	Yes	Yes
Elemental	Contained by any Grouping object	Other Grouping or Elemental objects	Yes	Yes	Yes
Contact	None	None	No	Yes	Yes
Program	None	None	No	Yes	No
Dictionary	None	None	No	Yes	Yes
Support	None	None	No	Yes	Yes
Attachment	None	None	No	No	Yes

You can establish object types for your information catalog in any of three ways:

Use the object types that come with the Information Catalog Manager in the sample information catalog (see Predefined Information Catalog Manager object types for information about creating the sample information catalog and a description of the object types that it includes).
Modify the object types that come with the Information Catalog Manager to fit your organization's needs (see Information Catalog Manager Administration Guide for information about modifying an object type).
Create your own object types.

Figure 25 shows how objects within object type categories are related. In the illustration, parentheses around an object type category name indicate that an object type category is not extendible. Parentheses around an object type name indicate that object type is not extendible. See Information Catalog Manager object types for more information on extendible object types.

Figure 25. Relationships between object type categories

In Figure 25 above, the following relationships are shown:

Contains

An object can contain many objects, or an object can be contained by many objects.

For example, a Grouping object can contain many Elemental objects, and an Elemental object can be contained by many Grouping objects.

Link

An object can be linked to many objects. Objects in a linked relationship are peers, rather than one being an underlying object of the other.

For example, a Grouping object can be linked to many Elemental objects, and an Elemental object can be linked to many Grouping objects.

Contact

An object can have many Contact objects associated with it, or one Contact object can be associated with many objects.

For example, a Grouping object can be associated with many Contact objects, and a Contact object can be associated with many Grouping and Elemental objects.

Attaches

An object can have many Attachment objects associated with it; however, one Attachment object can be associated with only one object.

For example, a Grouping object can have many Attachment objects associated with it; however, one Attachment object can be related to only one Grouping object.

Program

In this relationship, one object type can have many Program object instances associated with it. However, one Program object instance can be associated with only one object type.

For example, an Elemental object type can have many Program object instances associated with it; however, one Program object instance can be associated with only one object type.

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