Semantic Data Modeling
Example and ROI
Creative Commons by MDM Alliance Group
Pierre Bonnet
MDM Alliance Group
pierre.bonnet@orchestranetworks.com
September 2011
Publication free of use under Creative Commons
www.mdmalliancegroup.com
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Semantic modeling
(part 01 – static)
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Creative Commons by MDM Alliance Group
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: many to many association
: association holding a qualifier attribute
: constraint over associations
: associative class with reflexive association
: adaptative data cardinality depending on country
: inheritance of values
: business state management
: business operations from state machine
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Semantic modeling
(part 02 - dynamic)
Depending on business sate values of the Product
MDM’s operations (update, delete) cannot handle all data: these
are key business integrity constraints to enforce with care
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Product’s business State machine
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Rich Logical
data modeling
- Semantic &
SQL -
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: multivaluated FK attribute
: inheritance of values
: embedded business rules (data constraint)
: embedded adaptative data cardinality
: embedded business states management
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Poor
Logical
data
modeling
- Only SQL
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What happens when semantic modeling is not used!
adaptative
cardinality
inherited attribute
inherited attribute
state
join table
state
join table
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subset
join table
adaptative
cardinality
state
join table
subset
Must be hard-coded
inherited attribute
join table
state
No automation to implement
business states integrity rules
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Rich Logical data modeling
Rich Logical data
modeling
- SQL & Semantic -
- Semantic & SQL 1a
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1a, 1b, 1c
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Data Integrity
: multivaluated FK attribute
: inheritance of values
: embedded business rules (data constraint)
: embedded adaptative data cardinality
: embedded business states management
Poor Logical data modeling
Poor Logical
data modeling
- Only SQL -
- Only SQL a d a p ta tiv e
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in h e rite d c o lo r
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jo in ta b le
subset
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jo in ta b le
jo in ta b le
a d a p ta tiv e
c a rd in a lity
subset
in h e rite d c o lo r
N o a u to m a tio n to im p le m e n t
b u s in e s s s ta te s in te g rity ru le s
s ta te
M u s t b e h a rd -c o d e d
F o u r jo in ta b le s
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Data Integrity
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How to activate ROI from
the semantic modeling?
•
The semantic modeling is the key way to synchronize heteregeneous
systems and to plan a progressive journey to streamline IS architecture
– Caveat: semantic modeling is not just data modeling
•
As it represents a sustainable investment it MUST BE JUSTIFIED
through clear ROI indicators
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How to activate ROI from
the semantic modeling?
•
If semantic modeling remains just data models then ROI cannot be
enforced
•
When it is put within a MDM system it provides business users and IT
specialists with key benefits
•
Orchestra Networks’ lesson learnt from many IS streamlining programs
– The eight ROI indicators described below
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Key benefits from semantic modeling
associated with MDM
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ROI #1
If the MDM system holds a model-driven management tool it allows for
automatically generating UI from semantic data models, it means Data
Oriented UI
– IS business stakeholders are really involved in validating
data models
– Governance => BUSINESS USER = DATA OWNER!
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Key benefits from semantic modeling
associated with MDM
ROI #2
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The MDM is used as the Data Dictionary: terms, definition, taxonomy,
synomym
– unified view on top your existing systems
– Eg. different UI labels depending on systems
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Key benefits from semantic modeling
associated with MDM
Creative Commons by MDM Alliance Group
ROI #3
The MDM is used as the Semantic Broker. It consolidates all identifiers of
business objects and their relationships (Foreing keys), and their identity to
allow for cross data quering
– streamline the way of implementing unified queries relying
on several databases
– better way to provide business users with efficient query
mechanisms
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Key benefits from semantic modeling
associated with MDM
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ROI #4
As the Semantic Broker holds all referential integrity constraints between
objects it can be used to enforce IS integrity either at the level of every
system and/or at a unified IS level. It also can control business states
evolving attached to every key business objects
– when a system update relationship between business
objects it informs the Semantic Broker which control the
integrity
– this mechanism allows for garanteeing a high-level quality
of data required in any SOA approach
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Key benefits from semantic modeling
associated with MDM
Creative Commons by MDM Alliance Group
ROI #5
As the Semantic Broker holds all referential integrity constraints between
objects it can be used to enforce IS integrity at the level of data flows
within ESB
– rather than use an approach of hard-coding to implement
data flow controls, the MDM system is used to
automatically check integrity constraints hold at the level of
relationships between objets
– this mechanism allows for garanteeing a high-level quality
of data flow required in any SOA approach
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Key benefits from semantic modeling
associated with MDM
Creative Commons by MDM Alliance Group
ROI #6
Certain type of Business Rules must be provisionned within the MDM
system directly rather than through a BRMS system
– atomic control above data that are handled directly within
data models (facet XML)
– data oriented rules that are defined as transcodication
– decision tables
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Key benefits from semantic modeling
associated with MDM
Creative Commons by MDM Alliance Group
ROI #7
As soon as the MDM system holds master data beyond business objects’
identifiers (PK, FK, business states) it must be used as the
master/reference data provider of the BRMS and the BPM
– the additional-cost of adding a new business rule is
dramatically reduced as reference/master data are retrieved
from the MDM system directly in the right context and
version
– BPM are parameterized by benefiting from the data
governance brings by the MDM system. It enforces the
concept of Adaptive Configuration Management (ACM)
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Key benefits from semantic modeling
associated with MDM
Creative Commons by MDM Alliance Group
ROI #8
The MDM system is enriched in a progressive way with different natures of
master data to provide business users and IT specialists with master data
governance features
– version managament,
– data approval workflow,
– rigth management,
– auditability, traceability,
– etc.
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End
Pierre Bonnet
MDM Alliance Group
pierre.bonnet@orchestranetworks.com
September 2011
Creative Commons by MDM Alliance Group
Publication free of use under Creative Commons
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