Data catalogs offer a search engine-like user interface to access data assets. They help users understand and analyze data, and provide insights into its quality and origins.
Data catalogs provide a unified view of all the data assets an organization has. This means employees can work together, and departments can communicate with one another. It also enables users to connect to different sources of data and to join and explore them.
Data catalogs also provide a variety of metadata. These include process metadata, business metadata, and technical metadata. Each of these can tell analysts about the reliability of the data, its source, and the time of its creation.
Data catalogs allow users to discover, curate, and cleanse data. The process is managed by system data stewards, who ensure that systems comply with business rules.
Many organizations struggle to properly manage data. Some of this occurs because the data they collect is not well documented. Other times, the data is incomplete or is used by unreliable employees. In addition, it can be difficult to determine whether data assets are appropriate for a project.
A modern data catalog is a key part of the data stewardship process. It is important to establish a data catalog that incorporates community-based quality control.
Ideally, the data catalog should allow users to preview and download data assets. Additionally, it should provide a predicate-based search experience. Users should also be able to flag data that is not trustworthy or that does not meet certifications.
