A System for Semantic Information ManagementÔ (SIMÔ)
Successful Semantic Information Management will be supported
by an appropriate suite of products which should be fully integrated.
Key components of the supporting System include:
UNICORN REPOSITORY
The Unicorn Repository provides enterprise-quality storage and
management for all forms of metadata including the Information
Model and semantic mapping. It includes a flexible metamodel that
allows support for all forms of metadata as well as structured
descriptors which are configurable and which by default conform
to the Dublin Core Metadata Initiative (DCMI). Support is provided
for manual and batch scanning and synchronization of metadata
and for the administration of large bodies of metadata using hierarchical
packages. The repository provides a secure environment with multi-user
collaboration and versioning.
UNICORN WORKBENCH
The Unicorn Workbench is the graphical Java tool with which the
core group of data professionals and modelers manage the repository
and perform all modeling and semantic mapping tasks. Moreover,
from within it users can validate and test their model with test
instances.
UNICORN SERVER & UNICORN WEB INTERFACE
The Unicorn SIM Application utilizes the Repository metadata and
data semantics and applies them to provide active services in
support of information management, information quality and information
integration. The underlying Semantic Engine provides the capability
to reason about the meaning of data and the semantic relationship
between different assets.
Specific active services utilizing the semantic engine include
support for consistent discovery and reuse of data assets, systematic
application of business policy such as privacy to data, the automation
of data translation script generation, a systematic approach to
information quality, version tracking, enabling data stewardship,
etc.
The Web Interface is the web front-end for the Unicorn System
exposing the SIM Application to IT professionals and other knowledge
workers through their browser. It may be interlinked with the
corporate portal for easy cross-reference of business terminology.
Customized front-ends are configurable for multiple roles within
the enterprise and a selection of out-of-the-box templates reflecting
industry best practices.
The information management portal allows all users, including
business analysts and knowledge workers outside IT to browse the
business vocabulary in the Information Model and to ask high level
questions like What information do we have? Where does it come
from? What does it mean? How reliable is it?
UNICORN ADMINISTRATOR
The Unicorn Administrator is a Web-based administrative tool handling
licenses, user management, configuration, access control, and
managing projects.
