Viral Data in SOA: An Enterprise Pandemic

by Neal A. Fishman, Timothy G. Davis (Foreword by), Kamal Bherwani (Foreword by)

Overview

Viral Data in SOA

An Enterprise Pandemic

“This book is a must read for any organization using data-integration or data-interchange technologies, or simply any organization that must trust data. Neal takes the reader through an entertaining and vital journey of SOA information management issues, risks, discovery, and solutions. He provides a fresh perspective that no corporation should overlook; in fact, corporations might head blindly into SOA implementations without this awareness.”

–Kevin Downey, Senior Partner, Xteoma Inc., Canada

“Neal Fishman’s book on the viral affects of data is a much-needed warning signal for a time when critical consideration of risk and impact take a backseat in the thrive to integrate and apply new technologies. This book alerts its readers of potential risks and indicates how these can be minimized in real-world implementations. A must read for all decision makers for today’s increasingly complex information architectures.”

–Thomas Buehlmann, Ph.D., Senior Manager, Accenture, United States

Ensure the Reliability of the Data Your SOA Environment Depends Upon

Service-oriented environments can share data more widely and rapidly than ever before. Incorrect data can easily trigger inappropriate actions, prevent urgent actions from being taken, disrupt customer transactions and relationships, generate compliance problems, and damage business performance. Companies need a comprehensive blueprint for ensuring data reliability in their SOA environments. Viral Data in SOA provides that blueprint.

Leading IBM information forensics expert Neal Fishman helps you identify the unique challenges of data quality in your SOA environment–and implement solutions that deliver the best results for the long term at the lowest cost. Writing for both business and technical professionals, Fishman shows how to think about data quality on a risk/reward basis...establishing an effective data governance initiative...how to evaluate data quality, and overcome its inevitable decay...and, last but not least, how to actually derive a data quality initiative that works.

Coverage Includes

• Why poor-quality data in SOA can be dangerous to an organization

• Practical solutions for assessing, improving, and sustaining trusted information

• Why data governance is so critical–and realistic models for implementing it

• Benefits of data provenance

• Why business data is a form of metadata

• Programming and database design techniques to improve data quality

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780137001804
Publisher:	IBM Press
Publication date:	07/20/2009
Series:	IBM Press Series
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	6.20(w) x 9.20(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Neal Fishman is the program director for information and integration forensics within IBM’s Information Management’s Technical Architecture Group. He has been involved in many aspects of information technology and has developed many unique perspectives throughout his career.

Neal is also a co-author of the textbook Enterprise Architecture Using the Zachman Framework, and has been a distance-learning instructor for the University of Washington. In addition, Neal has served on several committees for international technology standards and as a board member of the Data Management Association (DAMA) Atlanta chapter.

Table of Contents

Foreword: Timothy Davis xvii

Foreword: Kamal Bherwani xxi

Preface xxv

Acknowledgments xxix

About the Author xxxi

Definition: Viral Data xxxiii

Prelude xxxv

Introduction 1

Chapter 1 Viral Data 15

Chapter 2 Data Governance 45

Chapter 3 Reference Model 71

Chapter 4 Assessing the Damage 103

Chapter 5 Data Conditioning 139

Chapter 6 Putting in Place 173

Epilogue 209

Bibliography 211

Index 223

Editorial Reviews

Praise Quotes for Viral Data in SOA: An Enterprise Pandemic

“Data quality is a critical success factor for enterprise data management. Assuring a high level of data quality in a service-oriented architecture proves to be difficult for most organizations. Neal Fishman’s book explores the origin of data quality challenges and sheds light on how to tackle complex situations. I found this book packed with practical experience. While reading the book, I learned several effective architectural patterns and implementation tactics. I highly recommend this book for IT architects.”

Xuegang “Harry” Huang, Solution Architect—Business Intelligence Competency Center, Danske Bank Group, Denmark

“Viral Data in SOA provides insight into topics that can get easily overlooked in fast-paced businesses. The book should help provide practitioners with the necessary knowledge to minimize or avoid embarrassing mistakes due to data errors. The book definitely drives home the point that data can be misused like any other resource and if improperly handled can do serious damage to the enterprise.”

Joseph Thomas Farrell, Senior Consultant, Booz Allen Hamilton, United States

“Neal sprinkles real-world business stories in the midst of more technical examples to show the importance of trustworthy data in a service-orientated architecture. In his terminology, data can quickly become viral, but in this positive and fun-to-read book, Neal encourages individuals and organizations to take an aggressive stand in getting the most out of their service-oriented solutions.”

Lisa Seacat, Master Inventor and Software Engineer, IBM, United States

“I thoroughly enjoyed reading Viral Data in SOA. The book is written in such a way that it can appeal to everyone from the novice to guru.”

Miranda Needham, Computer Systems Analyst, Montana Department of Transportation, United States

“When I first laid eyes on the script, I was worried that this might be another of those books extolling the Boy Scout virtues of SOA without contributing anything new. But on closer examination, I found the book packed full of interesting insights. Seldom do we find a book that can deal with the all important philosophical basis of a subject matter and link it to very detailed low-level examples. It is the sort of book that I will pick up and read more than once. You can benefit from light reading, gleaming useful insights supported by interesting stories/anecdotes, and you can delve deeper and explore the details of the examples for more in-depth understanding of the issues covered.”

Simon Seow, President, InfoSpec, Malaysia

“To travel down the road of regulatory compliance can be challenging for enterprise compliance teams and software architects. Neal Fishman has made a powerful business case for data provenance as the cornerstone of data governance. His book, illustrated by compelling and timely business-world examples, is a most valuable resource since it will help tackle this problem in

a principled manner.”

Professor Luc Moreau, School of Electronics and Computer Science, University of Southampton, England

“This book is a must read for any organization using data-integration or data interchange technologies, or simply any organization that must trust data. Neal takes the reader through an entertaining and vital journey of SOA information management issues, risks, discovery, and solutions. He provides a fresh perspective that no corporation should overlook; in fact, corporations might head blindly into SOA implementations without this awareness.”

Kevin Downey, Senior Partner, Xteoma Inc., Canada

“Viral Data in SOA: An Enterprise Pandemic is a must read for any business or information technology professional who is charged with improving the creation, management, and distribution of information in a large enterprise. This book makes the most important current contribution to understanding the complexities, issues, and practices for improving large enterprise data management organization, architecture, processes, and technology. The book brings a theoretical and intellectual clarity coupled with a practical perspective to enterprise data management.”

Bruce Gallager, President and CEO, Syscore International, United States

“An intriguing discourse. The text is relevant and pithy. If you help manage or create IT projects, this book is worth reading from cover to cover. The book explores the relevance of misrepresented data and its potential undetected wrath on business execution. Many companies have realized that data should be a recognized asset. Viral Data in SOA sets out to help you nurture and protect that asset.”

David Kmetz, Partner: Global Business Services, IBM, United States

“Neal Fishman’s book on the viral affects of data is a much-needed warning signal for a time when critical consideration of risk and impact take a backseat in the thrive to integrate and apply new technologies. This book alerts its readers of potential risks and indicates how these can be minimized in real-world implementations. A must read for all decision makers for today’s increasingly complex information architectures.”

Thomas Buehlmann, Ph.D., Senior Manager, Accenture, United States

“Viral Data in SOA has an amazing amount of information that spans different disciplines and areas of interest. The author analyzes the subject of viral data at various levels of depth, starting from the business level and working down to the database modeling, administration, and development levels. The author uses his experience and knowledge to present a vast area of possible problems with data and provides an in-depth analysis of the causes of viral data, suggesting the right path toward solutions. I believe this is a very important book because it addresses the subject from a realistic perspective coming from real-life experiences.”

Mika Nikolopoulou, Academic Affairs University Ambassador, IBM, United States

“In this world of exploding data volumes, every CIO is exploring new and exciting ways to leverage information. Few, however, pause to consider the associated risks that come with poorly controlled data quality. In this book, Mr. Fishman provides a detailed understanding of just how pervasive data quality problems are across all levels of an organization. His eclectic use of examples leaves the reader with no doubts about the unexpected dangers of viral data in a modern business. It provides a wake-up call to all IT professionals looking to use business data to create competitive advantage.”

David McCarty, Information Management Consultant, BWH, France

“Did you ever stop to think that the information you count on to make business decisions has the potential to cause a viral data pandemic that can disable the company? Neal Fishman’s latest book will definitely make you rethink your approach to business data. The book is chock full of entertaining illustrations that promptly make the reader realize how easily data can become poisonous bits of misinformation, especially when propagated throughout today’s service-oriented enterprises. Viral Data in SOA: An Enterprise Pandemic drives home the need for all businesses to establish an environment of trustworthy data. As Neal points out, ‘At the end of the day, there is a line between trustworthy information and viral data, and that line is very fine.’ This book provides excellent guidance on a variety of governance models, techniques, and treatments to combat viral data and to derive trusted information. The book is a thought-provoking information technology guide that I will reread frequently.”

Beth Brownhill, Distinguished Engineer, Information Agenda Executive Architect, IBM, United States

“The most entertaining and informative book on information technology I have read to date. A fascinating look at the role of information in the workplace.”

Mark Stewart, Managing Director, AV Pure & Simple, England

“Neal Fishman has a deep understanding of data and how to keep it from becoming viral. He does an excellent job of explaining how a small piece of data can create a significant business problem. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to keep viral type data out of their SOA project.”

Stan Green, Sr. Project Manager, Modern Computer Solutions, LLC, United States

From the Publisher