Common warehouse metamodel

The common warehouse metamodel (CWM) defines a specification for modeling metadata for relational, non-relational, multi-dimensional, and most other objects found in a data warehousing environment. The specification is released and owned by the Object Management Group, which also claims a trademark in the use of "CWM".[1]

By year 2011 the active version of the CWM specification is v1.1 with a supplementary specification, CWM metadata interchange patterns (MIP), which further refines the requirements for tools to inter-operate smoothly.

Overview

The CWM specifies interfaces that can be used to enable interchange of warehouse and business intelligence metadata between warehouse tools, warehouse platforms and warehouse metadata repositories in distributed heterogeneous environments. CWM is based on three standards:

  • UML – Unified Modeling Language, an OMG modeling standard
  • MOF – Meta Object Facility, an OMG metamodeling and metadata repository standard
  • XMI – XML Metadata Interchange, an OMG metadata interchange standard

CWM models enable users to trace the lineage of data – CWM provides objects that describe where the data came from and when and how the data was created. Instances of the metamodel are exchanged via XML Metadata Interchange (XMI) documents.

Initially, CWM contained a local definition for a data translation facility. It is not clear how the QVT final adopted specification[2] will affect CWM.

Support for the CWM

Submitters of CWM specification

While the Object Management Group owns the standard for CWM, some companies are considered co-submitters of the CWM specification. The following companies were listed as co-submitters to the v1.1 specification:

Compliance with the CWM specification

Software vendors claiming CWM support differ in the degree to which they comply with CWM. Some were co-submitters of the specification, and are actively using the OMG trademark in marketing literature. Other vendors have expressed support for CWM or claim they have products that are "CWM-compliant."

Questions about compliance are addressed within the specification itself. Chapter 18 in both the 1.0 and 1.1 specification list required and optional compliance points.

The Object Management Group has a list of CWM implementations, but it is unclear how this list is maintained.[3]

Interoperability of CWM tools

Compliance with the CWM specification does not guarantee tools from different vendors will integrate well, even when they are "CWM-compliant". The OMG addressed some of these issues by releasing patterns and best practices to correct these problems in a supplementary specification, CWM Metadata Interchange Patterns[4]

Vendors supporting CWM

CWM implementations identified by OMG

These vendors have been identified as having a CWM implementation or have active projects to support CWM.

  • Meta Integration Technology Inc. (MITI)
  • SAS SAS adheres to the Object Management Group's CWM as the interoperability and interchange standard. An alliance between SAS and Meta Integration Technology Inc. (MITI) enables SAS to provide bridges for sharing and exchanging metadata with more than 40 design tool and repository vendors[5]
  • Oracle Corporation Oracle Warehouse Builder and Oracle SQL Developer Data Modeler (formerly known as IKAN CWM4ALL)
  • Informatica produces Superglue, a data integration tool with a metadata extension (metadata manager formerly known as SuperGlue). Informatica is one of the members of the OMG
  • IBM
  • Dimension EDI
  • Genesis development
  • prudsys AG – XELOPES library for embedded data mining
  • UBS
  • Pentaho[6]

Other vendors supporting CWM

The following products or companies have claimed CWM support, but are not listed by OMG as having a CWM implementation. In some cases, the vendor may have implemented the v1.0 specification, which was replaced by the v1.1 specification. Refer to the software vendor to determine if the product is compliant with CWM or merely supports a subset of the required portions of the specification.

  • Hyperion Solutions, now a division of Oracle Corporation
  • Pentaho Pentaho Open Source Business Intelligence Project has recently added "Pentaho Metadata" which supports CWM
  • Cognos, now a division of IBM, is listed as a supporter of CWM in the v1.1 specification. Cognos product literature claims support for "Common Warehouse Model (CWM)" but never mentions an actual OMG specification.[7]
  • Enterprise Elements
  • Talend supports CWM

See also

References

  1. ↑ OMG Trademarks and Logos
  2. ↑ MOF QVT Final Adopted Specification
  3. ↑ Catalog Of OMG Modeling And Metadata Specifications
  4. ↑
  5. ↑
  6. ↑
  7. ↑ According to the Cognos support site, the company actively supports only OMG CWM 1.0 specification. http://support.cognos.com/en/support/products/cognos82_software_environments.html] .

Further reading

  • John Poole, Dan Chang, Douglas Tolbert, and David Mellor (2002). The Common Warehouse Metamodel: An Introduction to the standard for Data Warehouse Integration. OMG Press (John Wiley & Sons), 2002 ISBN 0-471-20052-2
  • John Poole, Dan Chang, Douglas Tolbert, and David Mellor (2003). Common Warehouse Metamodel Developer's Guide. OMG Press (John Wiley & Sons), 2003 ISBN 978-0-471-20243-1
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