Metadata Management

What is Metadata Management?

Metadata management is the process of organizing, controlling, and using metadata, which is data that describes other data, to improve accessibility, quality, understanding, and usability across an organization. It provides the foundation for effective data governance, cataloging, lineage, compliance, and analytics initiatives.

Metadata describes key information about data assets such as their name, type, source, format, usage history, sensitivity, and ownership. When managed properly, this information allows data consumers to trust, discover, and use data with greater confidence and efficiency.

Why it Matters

Organizations create and consume massive volumes of data daily. Without clear metadata, data becomes harder to understand, trace, or govern. Metadata management ensures that users know:

• What a data asset represents.
• Where it came from.
• How it has changed over time.
• Who owns it and who can access it.
• Whether it meets quality and compliance standards.

When this context is missing or inconsistent, teams struggle to find or trust the data they need. Metadata management solves this by providing structure and visibility across the entire data ecosystem.

Types of Metadata

Metadata can be grouped into several categories, each serving a different purpose:

• Business metadata: Describes meaning, definitions, and classifications (e.g., business terms).
• Technical metadata: Describes physical storage, schema, data types, and structures.
• Operational metadata: Captures information on data usage, frequency, and performance.
• Lineage metadata: Tracks how data moves and transforms across systems.
• Governance metadata: Includes policies, access rights, and stewardship roles.

Effective metadata management captures all of these types and integrates them into tools and workflows that support decision-making and compliance.

Core Functions of Metadata Management

A comprehensive metadata management strategy typically includes the following capabilities:

• Metadata collection and ingestion from data platforms, APIs, and files.
• Data cataloging to make assets searchable and discoverable.
• Lineage tracking to show how data flows and changes across systems.
• Role-based access and policy enforcement for security and compliance.
• Search and semantic linking for better discoverability and reuse.
• Monitoring and reporting on metadata health and usage.

Together, these functions enable data teams to maintain a strong foundation of trust, traceability, and alignment between business and technical users.

Actian and Metadata Management

Actian Data Intelligence Platform provides centralized metadata management that connects business, technical, and operational metadata into a unified and governed environment. It automates the discovery and enrichment of metadata across data sources, making it easier to locate, understand, and manage critical data assets.

Actian enables organizations to:

• Improve data quality and usability with enriched, contextual metadata.
• Build trust by linking assets to definitions, policies, owners, and lineage.
• Increase productivity with advanced search and intelligent discovery.
• Strengthen compliance by embedding governance into metadata workflows.

By turning metadata into an active driver of visibility and control, Actian empowers teams to unlock value from their data and scale governance with confidence.