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Metadata management is very important in order to keep the data you want to use and update in an order that is relevant to your needs. The amount of data you have is not important but the ability to use it is. When an application system is being designed plenty of attention needs to be given to the concept of metadata management. The metadata needs to be programmed to be manipulated. There also needs to be a viable way to destroy when you no longer need it.
By setting up the metadata so that it can be manipulated it will be able to adapt to changes in the system. This is more productive in the long run or you may find you have to continually put the information in again and again. This can be both time consuming and expensive. You need to determine how long you need to keep metadata before you will destroy it. That answer will depend on the particular use you have for the information.
You have the option of storing metadata information either internally or externally. If you do it internally then it can be stored in the same file. Should you decide to store it externally you will need to do so in a separate file. There are some advantages to each of these options.
By choosing to store the metadata internally it is with the data that it is describing. This makes it much easier to manipulate. This is a good choice when you will have repetitive information entered into the system. External storage of metadata allows you to bundle it together. This makes it easier to do a search for the information at a later date.
With metadata management you also have to decide which type of metadata classification you want to use – structural or control. The structural option allows you to set the data up for viewing with tables, columns, and an index. Controlled metadata is specific to the needs of the program such as keywords.
Setting up metadata is often an expense you can have included in the programming. It is a good idea to have the same person or business do both things for you. This way you know they are compatible with each other.
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