If an organisation uses more than one tool to access metadata for data warehouse processing, chances are it is having to keep multiple copies of the metadata repositories because the access technologies are incompatible. It is also almost impossible to move metadata from one system that may be a multidimensional database, over to an on-line analytical processing set up. At least that is what the database and warehouse folk tell us. Maybe not for too much longer, however. Last week half a dozen database access and tool vendors created themselves a metadata priesthood they’re calling the Metadata Council. The idea is to draft a metadata interchange specification and implementation model by the end of the year that will describe how metadata – in models to their liking – can be accessed by different tools and across different storage system. Council members are Arbor Software, Business Objects SA, Cognos, Evolutionary Technologies Inc, Platinum Technology and Texas Instruments Inc. It is not inconceivable that Arbor Essbase metadata could end up being used by Business Objects’ Mercury query and analysis system.
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