Metadata Coalition ratifies industry's first standard metadata interchange specification.AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 22, 1996--The Metadata Coalition See Meta Data Coalition. Monday announced that the Metadata Interchange Specification (MDIS See Meta Data Coalition. ) Version 1.0 has been officially ratified by a majority vote of the Coalition membership. The acceptance of MDIS Version 1.0 by the Coalition marks the first major milestone toward industry consensus on metadata interchange, providing a tactical solution to the problem of open exchange of metadata between software tools. The MDIS Version 1.0 specification document was released to Metadata Coalition members for final review and voting on June 7, 1996. The formal voting period ended on July 3. In accordance with the Coalition's bylaws The rules and regulations enacted by an association or a corporation to provide a framework for its operation and management. Bylaws may specify the qualifications, rights, and liabilities of membership, and the powers, duties, and grounds for the dissolution of an , each Coalition member organization was allowed one vote; a majority vote was required for ratification The confirmation or adoption of an act that has already been performed. A principal can, for example, ratify something that has been done on his or her behalf by another individual who assumed the authority to act in the capacity of an agent. of the specification. ``The ratification of MDIS is a tremendous step forward for end users, as well as vendors,'' commented Patty Nghiem, vice president of Business Objects and co-chair of the Metadata Coalition. ``The fact that the Coalition was able to accomplish so much in just 10 months is a clear indication that even highly competitive vendors can work together along with end users to successfully tackle difficult shared problems like metadata interchange.'' ``From the founding of the Coalition last year, one of our primary goals was to create a rapid path for resolving metadata issues,'' added Dr. Katherine Hammer, president and chief executive officer of ETI (Embed The Internet) An earlier consortium that was devoted to putting Web servers into microcontrollers used in embedded systems. Using a Web server enables access to the device via any Web browser. See Web server and microcontroller. and co-chair of the Metadata Coalition. ``At the same time, we realized that the issues around metadata interchange management are evolving and will continue to do so for some time. With MDIS, we believe we are providing a tactical solution that will be easy to implement, maintain and extend as metadata issues evolve.'' The MDIS Version 1.0 specification represents Coalition member input and recommendations collected and synthesized by the Coalition's technical subcommittee over the six-month period between December 1995 and June 1996. Members of the Metadata Coalition technical subcommittee are all volunteers from Coalition member companies, including representatives from Business Objects, ETI, IBM (International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY, www.ibm.com) The world's largest computer company. IBM's product lines include the S/390 mainframes (zSeries), AS/400 midrange business systems (iSeries), RS/6000 workstations and servers (pSeries), Intel-based servers (xSeries) , Platinum Technology Platinum Technology Inc. was founded by Andrew Filipowski in 1987 to market and support deployment of Database Management software products and the applications enabled by database management technology and render related services. , Price Waterhouse, Prism Solutions, R&O and SAS Institute SAS Institute Inc., headquartered in Cary, North Carolina, USA, has been a major producer of software since it was founded in 1976 by Anthony Barr, James Goodnight, John Sall and Jane Helwig. . MDIS Version 1.0 is now freely available to any interested vendor, systems integrator, analyst, consultant or end user. Per the Coalition charter, however, compliance with MDIS Version 1.0 is entirely up to individual vendors. At the next meeting of the Metadata Coalition, tentatively targeted for mid- to late August 1996, vendor members of the Coalition will be encouraged to discuss their implementation plans, timeframes, etc. Metadata Interchange Specification Version 1.0 MDIS Version 1.0 provides a metamodel that addresses the main types of commonly shared metadata objects and a standard import/ export mechanism that enables the exchange of these metadata objects between tools. The metadata objects include schema, record, data element, dimension, level and the relationship between a given object and any other(s). Each object type has a standard naming syntax that creates a unique identifier With reference to a given (possibly implicit) set of objects, a unique identifier is any identifier which is guaranteed to be unique among all identifiers used for those objects and for a specific purpose. for each individual metadata object. Any proprietary or tool-specific metadata is treated as an attribute that is carried along with the metadata object to which it belongs. To comply with MDIS Version 1.0, a tool's metadata import and export mechanisms must simply conform to Verb 1. conform to - satisfy a condition or restriction; "Does this paper meet the requirements for the degree?" fit, meet coordinate - be co-ordinated; "These activities coordinate well" a standardized read and write procedure that uses this standard naming syntax and carries along the proprietary metadata as required. Moving Forward -- The Process for Extending MDIS The Coalition fully intends that MDIS will evolve over time. Additions and extensions to MDIS may be proposed by any Coalition member. The technical subcommittee will collect all proposals for extensions and additions for review on a quarterly basis, determining which should be accepted and furnishing a technical decision rationale for any not accepted. A membership review/comment and balloting process will be invoked as appropriate. An update of the Metadata Interchange Specification will be published once a year. MDIS Version 1.0, as well as general information about the Metadata Coalition, is available through the Coalition home page on the World Wide Web at http://www.metadata.org. Organizations interested in joining the Metadata Coalition may submit their registration directly via the form provided through the Web site, or may contact membership coordinator Amy Smith at 512/327-6994, or via e-mail: asmith@evtech.com. The Metadata Coalition was founded in October 1995 by a group of industry-leading vendors aimed at defining a set of standard specifications for the access and interchange of metadata between software tools. Participation in the Metadata Coalition is open to any vendors and end users who create, access or use metadata. Annual dues are $2,500 for vendors and $500 for end-user organizations. The founders of the Metadata Coalition make up its steering committee steer·ing committee n. A committee that sets agendas and schedules of business, as for a legislative body or other assemblage. steering committee Noun , the Metadata Council, which includes Arbor Software See Hyperion. , Business Objects, Cognos, Evolutionary Technologies International The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. Please help [ improve the introduction] to meet Wikipedia's layout standards. You can discuss the issue on the talk page. , Platinum Technology and Texas Instruments See TI. (company) Texas Instruments - (TI) A US electronics company. A TI engineer, Jack Kilby invented the integrated circuit in 1958. Three TI employees left the company in 1982 to start Compaq. Software. The Metadata Coalition is co-chaired by Patty Nghiem of Business Objects and Katherine Hammer of Evolutionary Technologies. -0- NOTE: All product and company names mentioned are included for identification only and may be trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective companies or institutions. CONTACT: Arbor Software Joanna McMillan, 408/541-4035 jmcmillan@arborsoft.com or Evolutionary Technologies International Pam O'Neal, 512/327-6994 poneal@evtech.com http://www.evtech.com |
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