Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
BS ISO IEC 11179 โ Information Technology โ Metadata Registries (MDR) Series
Information Technology โ Metadata Registries (MDR) (2013โ2015 Editions, 4 Parts)
๐ BS ISO/IEC 11179 is the British Standard implementation, adopted by BSI, of the ISO/IEC 11179 international series prepared by Technical Committee IST/40 (Data management and interchange), classified under ICS 35.040. The series provides a standard framework for the establishment, management, and interoperability of metadata registries (MDR), covering framework, registry metamodel and basic attributes, naming principles, and registration. It is a foundational standard in data governance, data dictionary development, and cross-system data standardization.
๐ก A metadata registry is the “instruction manual” for an organization’s data: it uniformly describes the name, definition, type, value domain, and context of data elements, giving different systems and departments a consistent understanding of the same data โ a prerequisite for data sharing and interoperability.
1. Series Overview ๐
The BS ISO/IEC 11179 series consists of several parts; this batch covers Parts 1, 3, 5, and 6. Part 1 is the framework, defining overall concepts and terms of the MDR; Part 3 specifies the registry metamodel and basic attributes; Part 5 specifies naming principles; Part 6 specifies registration procedures. The series is widely referenced in international data standardization activities, such as industry data dictionary development.
The series primarily serves data governance and management bodies, data dictionary and master data project teams, enterprise architecture and system integration implementers, planners of government and research data-sharing platforms, and consultants in data standardization and interoperability.
2. Structure and Technical Highlights ๐
| Standard | Title | Core Content |
|---|---|---|
| BS ISO/IEC 11179-1:2015 | Framework | Overall framework, basic concepts, terms and definitions of the MDR, and general requirements for metadata registration |
| BS ISO/IEC 11179-3:2013 | Registry metamodel and basic attributes | Structured metamodel of the registry: core constructs (registered item, data element, concept, value domain, etc.) and their basic attributes, plus conformance requirements |
| BS ISO/IEC 11179-5:2015 | Naming principles | Naming rules for registered items: name composition, naming conventions, and name management, ensuring uniqueness and readability |
| BS ISO/IEC 11179-6:2015 | Registration | Registration procedures and registration status management for metadata items, ensuring content quality and authority (scanned version, written from public-domain knowledge) |
โ ๏ธ BS ISO/IEC 11179-6 in this material is a scanned version; its description is written from public-domain knowledge of the standard. Please refer to the official BSI publication for the authoritative text.
3. Key Technical Requirements ๐ง
The key technical requirements of the BS ISO/IEC 11179 series center on the registry metamodel, naming, and registration management:
- Core metamodel constructs (Part 3): registered item, data element, concept, data element concept, value domain, data element identifier, and their relationships, providing a structured basis for metadata description.
- Basic attributes: specifies the basic attributes a registered item shall have (name, definition, identifier, status, context, etc.), ensuring consistency and completeness of description.
- Naming principles (Part 5): specifies name composition rules and naming conventions, requiring registered names to be unique, unambiguous, readable, and supporting multilingual naming.
- Conformance: Parts 3 and 5 specify conformance rules for registries and systems, distinguishing “conforming” from “strictly conforming”.
- Registration procedures (Part 6): specifies submission, review, registration, and status-change procedures for metadata items, ensuring quality, authority, and traceability of registered content.
๐จ The value of a metadata registry depends on data quality and governance discipline: if registered item names are chaotic, definitions vague, or context missing, the registry becomes “another data dictionary nobody trusts.” A naming-review and periodic revalidation mechanism must be established to maintain the authority of registered content.
4. Engineering Practice Applications ๐ ๏ธ
In engineering practice, the BS ISO/IEC 11179 series is mainly applied to:
- ๐ Data dictionary and master data development: enterprise data dictionaries and master data management platforms build unified metadata descriptions per the MDR framework, eliminating inconsistent data definitions.
- ๐ง Cross-system data standardization: in multi-system integration and data exchange projects, define interface fields per uniformly registered data elements and value domains, reducing semantic ambiguity and mapping cost.
- ๐ Government and industry data sharing: government open-data platforms and industry data-sharing centers publish data catalogs through metadata registration, improving data discoverability and usability.
- ๐ Data governance and compliance audit: use the metadata registry as the “single source of truth” for data governance, supporting data lineage analysis, quality rules, and compliance audit.
โ
It is recommended that organizations follow BS ISO/IEC 11179 when building a metadata registry: define scope and responsibilities per the framework (Part 1), design the data model per the metamodel (Part 3), standardize names per the naming principles (Part 5), and manage content lifecycle per the registration procedures (Part 6).
5. Frequently Asked Questions โ
โ Q: What is the difference between a metadata registry and a data dictionary?
A: A data dictionary is usually a field-description document for a specific system or project; a metadata registry is an organization-level, governed authoritative source of metadata with a standardized metamodel, naming conventions, and registration process, supporting cross-system sharing and interoperability โ a “governed data dictionary.”
A: A data dictionary is usually a field-description document for a specific system or project; a metadata registry is an organization-level, governed authoritative source of metadata with a standardized metamodel, naming conventions, and registration process, supporting cross-system sharing and interoperability โ a “governed data dictionary.”
โ Q: Why are the naming principles (Part 5) so important?
A: Names are the primary identifier by which registered items are searched and referenced. If names are not unique or clear, users face ambiguity in lookup and citation, leading to duplicate definitions of the same data and undermining registry consistency and interoperability.
A: Names are the primary identifier by which registered items are searched and referenced. If names are not unique or clear, users face ambiguity in lookup and citation, leading to duplicate definitions of the same data and undermining registry consistency and interoperability.
โ Q: What is the difference between a “data element” and a “data element concept”?
A: A data element concept is a semantic abstraction of data (e.g., “a person’s date of birth”), independent of representation; a data element binds representation properties (data type, format, value domain) to that concept and is the actual exchangeable data unit. Separating them facilitates reuse of semantics and representation.
A: A data element concept is a semantic abstraction of data (e.g., “a person’s date of birth”), independent of representation; a data element binds representation properties (data type, format, value domain) to that concept and is the actual exchangeable data unit. Separating them facilitates reuse of semantics and representation.
โ Q: What is the difference between “conforming” and “strictly conforming”?
A: “Conforming” allows a registry or system to extend additional functionality while meeting core requirements; “strictly conforming” requires complete implementation per the standard without any deviation or extension. Choose the appropriate conformance level depending on procurement and interoperability requirements.
A: “Conforming” allows a registry or system to extend additional functionality while meeting core requirements; “strictly conforming” requires complete implementation per the standard without any deviation or extension. Choose the appropriate conformance level depending on procurement and interoperability requirements.
โ Q: How do BS ISO/IEC 11179 and data catalog standards such as DCAT relate?
A: BS ISO/IEC 11179 focuses on the registration-management model of metadata itself, while DCAT (e.g., EU open data catalog) focuses on describing and publishing data catalogs and datasets. They complement: MDR provides bottom-up data element governance, DCAT provides interoperable descriptions of open data catalogs.
A: BS ISO/IEC 11179 focuses on the registration-management model of metadata itself, while DCAT (e.g., EU open data catalog) focuses on describing and publishing data catalogs and datasets. They complement: MDR provides bottom-up data element governance, DCAT provides interoperable descriptions of open data catalogs.