March 14, 1998
*data standards * data-element naming * data management * metadata mining *
* data analysis * database administration * data administration *
Kismet Analytic Corp. Announces Release of Beta version of
KisMeta Validator - A metadata standards setting and enforcement aid
For Immediate Release
Contact: Richard Orli, Technical Director. 703-521-3845, rorli@kismeta.com.
Arlington, Virginia, March 14, 1998 - Kismet today released its metadata standards enforcement
tool, kisMETA Validator - Enterprise Edition. Version 1.1 of the Personal Edition of Validator
is also available now.
Validator is the first out of three metadata analysis tools that we have designed. By helping to
set and enforce standards, Validator lays the groundwork for effective information resources
management, accessibility, data sharing and re-useablity. For a DBA, this tool offers a higher
level of mastery over the metadata environment.
Tool capabilities include facilities to set, publish and enforce metadata standards. More than a
"data police" tool, it can provide suggestions to help meet standards, and can generate both
descriptive English names and abbreviated "computeresse" labels of a given length. Validator is
useful for both central data administration, and for DBAs and development teams in the
trenches.
The enterprise edition of Validator has a master standards-setting facility, and a compact
distributable validation module that can be inexpensively put into the hands of every
development. It offers several additional standards control and testing tools. This version also
offers color-coded reports that show at a glance if a label meets or does not meet standards, and
if not, why not. KisMETA Validator uses several interpretive techniques originally designed
for Analyst (described below), and is much smarter at rule enforcement than simple list
checkers. "Best" identities and relationship probabilities are assessed with Bayesian and
decision tree techniques.
Validator will tell you if an object is properly named, but is mostly for new systems
development and re-engineering projects. Validator will be complemented by kisMETA
Analyst, a high-end enterprise-level metadata analysis tool for the support of data
administration, reengineering, database consolidation and warehousing. Analyst will go through
all new and legacy data and say what objects ought to have been named, and relate that to a
consistent conceptual model of the enterprise's interests to identify similarities and overlaps.
Analyst is scheduled for Beta release in Summer.
Kismet Analytic Corp. provides technology that automates the discovery, development and
maintenance of a rationalized and unified view of the enterprise's data. Useful artifacts
produced include rationalized and reconciled data sets, a cross index to all systems data, and an
enterprise conceptual schema. The resulting information is extremely valuable in data
warehouse design, database consolidation, information systems planning, and enterprise
re-engineering.
Kismet Analytic Corp. is the only developer of advanced metadata analysis rationalization and
indexing tools in our category. We complement, (and do not compete with) repository tools,
reverse-engineering tools that generate logical metadata, metadata management tools, and data
content analysis tools. We are a new company specifically charged with the mission to develop
this technology and methodology.
Summary
Purpose: Standards setting, publishing, and validation/enforcement that helps make data
resources consistently meaningful, and so allows enterprise-wide data sharing and accessibility.
Users: Data Administrators and Database Administrators charged with central/enterprise
standards enforcement. Project architects, managers, and designers who wish either to adhere to
enterprise standards or who wish to set and enforce internal object naming standards.
Compatibility: Validator can be fed metadata in most common formats, such as dbase files,
any ODBC source, or comma delimited text. Validator has built-in interfaces with popular
reverse-engineering, CASE, and repository tools. For example, a user can extract metadata from
almost any modern database using ERWin, and feed the results directly to Validator. In
addition, Validator can enforce custom standards on metadata of any sort, including class,
procedure, and other object labels provided by tools such as With Class. Links to the Platinum
repository are planned for the enterprise version.
Platform: Windows 95, Windows NT. Requires 16MB, 486-66, 11MB disk space.
The workgroup version of Validator is available on Windows 95/NT platform during beta. The
final release of the product, scheduled for August 11, will also be available in a Windows 3.1
version.
Priceing: Workgroup/personal edition: $179.00.
Enterprise Edition, $1799 (which includes the master module and 6 client validation licenses)
The Enterprise version has additional features including automated publication of standards as a
document, the ability to generate copies of the validation-only tool, built in accessibility to
Oracle, DB2 and other mainframe databases, and centralized client/server standards
enforcement options. Additional validation licences will be sold in bundles of 6 for $299.
KisMETA, kisMETA Analyst, kisMETA Validator, and the Kismet logo are trademarks of
Kismet Analytic Corp.
Contact: Rick Orli, Technical Director
Company: Kismet Analytic Corp.
Address: PO Box 3218, Arlington, VA 22203
HomePage: www.kismeta.com
E-Mail: rorli@kismeta.com
Phone/Fax: 703-521-3845
See our Validator article. And Metadata enforcement white paper.
Kismet Analytic Corp. PoBox 3218 Arlington VA 22203 Phone/fax 703-531-3845
