Information Catalog Manager User's Guide

Appendix A. Sample information catalog object types

The following list shows the contents of the ICMSAMP sample information catalog that you use for the scenarios in this book. The text following the name of each object type provides a short description of the object type.

Application data

This object type is used internally for some MDIS metadata exchanges. Objects of this object type might appear in your information catalog, but you won't use this object type to create objects.

Audio clips

This object type represents files that contains audio information. These objects might represent electronic (AUD files) or physical audio information (for example, CDs or tapes).

Business subject areas

This object type represents logical groupings of objects.

Charts

This object type represents either printed or electronic charts.

Columns or fields

This object type represents columns within a relational table, fields within a file, or fields within an IMS segment.

Comments

This object type is created when an information catalog is created and is used to comment on other objects in the information catalog.

Databases

This object type represents relational databases.

Dimensions within a multi-dimensional database

This object type represents dimensions within a multi-dimensional database. A dimension is comprised of members.

Documents

This object type represents books, manuals, and technical papers. These publications might be printed or electronic, found locally or within a library.

DWC process

This object type represents a process in the Data Warehouse Center which commonly operates on source data, that changes data from its original form into a form conducive to decision support. In the Data Warehouse Center a process commonly consists of one or more sources, one or more steps, and one or more targets.

Elements

This object type represents MDIS element objects that do not map directly to the "Columns or fields" object type.

Files

This object type represents a file within a file system.

Glossary entries

This object type represents definitions for terms used in the information catalog.

Images or graphics

This object type represents graphic images, such as bitmaps.

IMS database definitions (DBD)

This object type represents IMS database definitions.

IMS program control blocks (PCB)

This object type represents IMS program control blocks.

IMS program specification blocks (PSB)

This object type represents IMS program specification blocks.

IMS segments

This object type represents IMS segments.

Information Catalog news

This object type conveys to end users information about changes to the information catalog.

Internet documents

This object type represents Web sites and other documents on the Internet that might be of interest.

Lotus Approach queries

This object type represents available Lotus Approach queries for use with your organization's data.

Members within a multi-dimensional database

This object type represents a member within a multi-dimensional database. A member is part of a dimension, and a dimension is part of a multi-dimensional database.

Multi-dimensional datbases

This object type represents multi-dimensional databases.

Online news services

This object type represents news and information services that can be accessed online.

Online publications

This object type represents publications and other documents that can be accessed from online services.

People to contact

This object type identifies a person or group that is responsible for single or multiple objects within the information catalog.

Presentations

This object type represents various printed or electronic presentations. These presentations might include product, customer, quality, and status presentations.

Programs that can be started from information catalog objects

This object type is created when an information catalog is created. This object type is used to define an application capable of processing a particular object type. In the sample information catalog, ICMSAMP, this object type is named "Programs that can be invoked from information catalog objects."

Records

This object type represents MDIS Record objects that do not map directly to the "Files" or "Relational tables or views" object types. Records are comprised of elements.

Relational tables or views

This object type represents tables or views of relational databases.

Spreadsheets

This object type represents desktop spreadsheets (for example, Lotus 1-2-3 or Microsoft Excel spreadsheets).

Star schema

This object type represents relational data. A star schema contains a fact table and one or more dimension tables.

Subschemas

This object type represents logical groupings of records within a database.

Text-based reports

This object type represents either printed or electronic reports.

Transformations

This object type represents expressions or logic used to populate columns of data within the target relational database. Transformations objects indicate either the expression used to convert source operational data to target columns, or the one-to-one mapping of source fields to target columns.

Video clips

This object type represents files that contain video information. These objects might represent electronic (AVI files) or physical video information (for example, video tapes or laser disks).