The Power of Clarity: How the Business Glossary Enhances Your Data Catalog

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The business glossary is not just an add-on, but an indispensable tool in any data catalog. Starting from SAS Viya release LTS 2024.03 (May 2024), the SAS Information Catalog has introduced a brand new glossary. It facilitates a common understanding of data elements in an organization by defining terms in a clear, accessible language. The glossary eliminates ambiguity in business terminology, fostering consistent communication throughout the organization. To discover a summary of the key functionalities, please read more.

Why is the Glossary Essential?

Consider non-cataloged data as a chaotic pile of unsorted books. Would you want to be the person desperately searching for a specific piece of information in this random heap of data?

AI-generated image: ChatGPT 4o.

In contrast, cataloging data is akin to neatly organizing these books onto shelves. Wouldn't you rather be the individual who can effortlessly scan through a well-arranged library to find what they need?

AI-generated image: ChatGPT 4o.

This is where the glossary steps in. Acting as a well-structured library, it systematically arranges, groups, and labels cataloged data, making it easy for users to locate the exact information they require.

AI-generated image: ChatGPT 4o.

What Makes Up the Glossary?

The glossary is built on terms and term types.

Terms

A term is the fundamental building block in the glossary. It helps you capture the essential information.

What attributes you can capture is defined by a term type.

Term Types

Term types function as templates, aiding in the organization of terms into meaningful functional groups based on your business needs. This structure allows for customization and capturing specific details.

Linking Terms to Data Assets

Terms can be attached to columns of cataloged data assets.

How to Use the Glossary?

The glossary is flexible and adaptable, with terms structured in hierarchies, providing an immediate overview of the information.

The hierarchy can be organized based on business units, processes, information catalogs, or data views. This versatile structure aligns with your organization's specific data governance objectives.

Terms can be organized using various structures, such as:

Organizational View: This follows the structure of Business Unit > Department > Business Term.
Process View: This is arranged as Business Process > Process Step > Business Term.
Information Catalog View: This is set up as Subject Area > Domain > Business Term.
Data View: This adopts the structure of Area > Entity > Attribute.

Who Can Use the Glossary?

The glossary is accessible to catalog users and glossary administrators.

The catalog users can consult the terms, attach data asset columns to a term, while glossary administrator can manage term types, create, update and delete terms and even import terms from a CSV file.

The Glossary REST API allows you to manage all aspects of the glossary from the comfort of a command line or a program written in SAS, Python. The Glossary REST API is a great tool that can help you automate all things related to a glossary.

The Glossary REST API provides the convenience of managing all aspects of the glossary directly from a command line, a shell script, or a program written in SAS or Python. This powerful tool facilitates automation of all glossary-related tasks.

The Bigger Picture

The glossary forms an integral part of the catalog. It works in conjunction with other features like asset tags, descriptions, and contacts to provide a comprehensive and clearer picture of the data. It is not a standalone tool but a key part of the data governance ecosystem.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the glossary in SAS Information Catalog is a vital tool for data governance and data management. It adds a semantic layer of knowledge in natural language, making data interpretation faster and more accurate. Its integration with other catalog functionalities like asset tags, descriptions, and contacts further enhances data understanding.

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