"The truth of the data is in the data values. Specifications are only a starting point, and documentation is only as good as its timeliness."
Traditionally, data analysts begin analyzing structured data sources and mapping data by using the metadata. But when metadata is missing, out-of-date, inaccurate, or meaningless, it actually slows down the discovery and data mapping process by misleading the analyst and causing errors and rework that is often not found until the testing phase of the project. Nor does metadata help determine data maps, sensitive data and transformations hidden between sources and targets.
Exeros Discovery's data-driven technology automates the discovery of business rules, data lineage, sensitive data and data inconsistencies by looking at the actual data values and the relationships within and between data sets. Once this information is known, Discovery automatically generates even the most complex transformations between one or more data sources and a target. The automation of this process results in more than 5x reduction in data mapping and discovery project time.
Characteristics
Advantages
Disadvantages
Metadata-Based Mapping:
•
Relies on table and column names
•
Requires manual "drag-and-drop" by analyst
•
Can help narrow down one-to-one mappings based on column names
•
Assumptions about metadata leads to errors and re-work
•
Still manually intensive process
•
Cannot find complex transformations
•
Can't find hidden sensitive data
•
Ultimately doesn't do the job
Data-Driven Mapping:
•
High performance engine analyzes data in unattended manner and automatically discovers business rules, transformations, data lineage, hidden sensitive data and data inconsistencies.
•
GUI leads data analyst to find remaining data maps with guided analysis based on automated phase
•
Not biased by column names
•
Finds complex transformations (including nested case statements)
•
Finds hidden sensitive data
•
100% accuracy in data maps and transformations
•
Finds data discrepancies that don't map properly
Exeros Discovery™ doesn't use canned rules to transform dates or phone numbers - it intelligently analyzes the data values and makes its own rules - for example, that "John Smith, employee ID 12345" in one of your systems is the same person as "Smith, J. A., badge number 00087" in another.
To learn more about how Exeros Discovery™ uses data-driven technology to discover data maps and transformation, download our white paper, Data Relationship Management.
