Metadatabase modeling for enterprise information integration

An underpinning to the notion of Computer Integrated Enterprises is information integration; that is, the integration of information resources and decision logic across the enterprise so as to achieve fundamental synergies. This concept requires certain basic extensions to two previously separate paradigms: information modeling and metadata management. In particular, both paradigms must consider not only data resources but also contextual knowledge in a unified way; further, they have to converge as a single, integrated method rather than belonging to two distinct stages of a life cycle. Toward this end, a modeling system is developed based on the Two-Stage Entity-Relationship (TSER) approach [3, 4, 5, 7] and the metadatabase method [5, 6, 8]. This paper presents the metadata modeling system, focusing on its basic concepts, design, and current implementation. In addition, the prototype environment of the metadatabase that this system creates is illustrated through some examples taken from a Computer Integrated Manufacturing case.