A data dictionary is a key component in any relational database. It holds records about other objects in the database, such as data ownership and relationships to other data items, and helps to organize data for easy access and prevents redundancy issues.
Data dictionaries are a central repository of metadata, providing users with an ordered list of all the data items they can use to create reports and search for data. This enables app developers to build data-driven applications with the proper controls and data types.
Active and Passive Dictionaries
The main difference between an active and passive data dictionary is that an active dictionary is updated automatically by the Database Management System (DBMS). A passive data dictionary requires more setup and maintenance, but it can be used for storing information as a standalone central repository and does not impact the database structure.
A good SDS provider offers a wide range of security measures to protect your data at all times. They also enable you to automate and streamline many different processes related to data storage.
Embrace Big Data
Global data growth has been doubling every two years, with the amount of data worldwide increasing by 10 times in just three years. This is driven by the emergence of Internet of Things (IoT) devices and sensors that generate semi-structured and unstructured data at high speeds.
It’s important to understand your data, because it’s often the lifeblood of a business. Keeping your data in good shape is crucial to your company’s success, but it can be hard to do when teams have no standard way of defining or describing their data.
Fortunately, Claravine is here to help you set and activate a data taxonomy for your organization. This empowers teams to share and govern data in an org-wide data taxonomy, eliminating redundant information and enabling data democratization across your entire business.
A data taxonomy can be a vital foundation for building information-rich campaign tracking links at scale, as well as for improving data integrity across organic channels. It ensures all users are following the same taxonomy, minimizing errors and improving data quality to meet compliance needs.
The Data Standards Cloud is a simple, cloud-based solution that lets you manage your data taxonomy and create a universal data dictionary across your business. It’s easy to use and allows non-technical users to leverage templates for drafting, reviewing, and editing enterprise data at scale without having to learn coding.
Why Your Business Needs a Data Dictionary
A data dictionary is the essential first step towards achieving enterprise-wide data standards. It’s the basis for a data taxonomy, marketing data taxonomy, and a data language across your entire business.
It helps teams to abide by data standards and avoid data redundancy, which can lead to inaccurate reporting and ineffective marketing campaigns. It also helps to improve team collaboration, reduce churn, and lower data costs across the organization.
Your organization should have an enterprise data taxonomy that outlines core business fields, marketing channel requirements, and valid input values to define your data. This will help your marketing team improve data integrity and ensure that all employees have consistent data attribution across every business unit, project, and system in your organization.