Database management is one of the key functions if any company. The amount of data generated by different departments can be humongous and the purpose served by each dataset can be different. As if that wasn’t enough, there is also the metadata that needs to be managed carefully. This makes the database management process rather complex and overwhelming. Given these complexities, a lot of companies choose to use a metadata management tool.

So how does one know which metadata management solution is ideal for them? Here are a few tips that can help you make an informed decision.

Sources of Data Collection

Try to understand the sources from which the tool will collect its information. The tool should be able to scan a wide variety of data sources and should include ETL, other databases if any, and even reporting tools. This will help you make the data collection part comprehensive.

Repository Type

It is obvious that the data collected by the metadata management tool is going to be stored in a repository. But the repository should be centralized and secure. The repository should also follow naming conventions so that it is easy to look for a piece of information when needed.

Algorithms

Just collecting information and storing it is not enough. You should also be able to analyse the data. For this your tool should have smart algorithms, different mathematical models, and indexing types in place.

Visual Representation

Every business uses metadata differently. However, the amount of metadata generated, stored, and analysed can make it incomprehensible for a human brain. So your tool should be able to give you graphical or visual representations so that it is easy to comprehend it and use it effectively. It would also make it easy for you to audit it if needed.