Meta Data Services Architecture

Meta Data Services

Meta Data Services

Meta Data Services Architecture

Microsoft® SQL Server™ 2000 Meta Data Services architecture is based on a set of integrated components. Key components are summarized in the following list and presented in a subsequent diagram.

Component Summary

Architecture components are described in the following list. You can find out more about each component by reading specific topics.

Topic Description
Tools and Applications Describes how tools and applications relate to the Meta Data Services architecture.

Meta Data Browser is a tool provided with Meta Data Services. For more information, see Using Meta Data Browser.

Open Standards: OIM, COM, XML Describes open standards that Meta Data Services supports, including Component Object Model (COM)-based interfaces, Extensible Markup Language (XML) encoding, and Open Information Model (OIM).

OIM supports standard meta data. XML encoding supports import and exporting of OIM meta data. For more information, see OIM in Meta Data Services and XML in Meta Data Services.

Information Models Describes how Meta Data Services supports standard and user-defined meta data through the OIM and other information models.

Model designers and programmers can use the Software Development Kit (SDK) to create meta data-based applications and to build or extend information models that are the basis of shared meta data. For more information, see Meta Data Services SDK.

Repository Engine Discusses the repository engine, which stores, consolidates, and retrieves meta data in repository databases.

The repository engine is exposed as an object model that you can access using the repository API.

Repository API Discusses the API, which exposes repository engine functions and information model definitions through COM interfaces.
Repository Databases Discusses the database storage of meta data.
Architecture Diagram

In Meta Data Services architecture, tools and applications connect to the core engine and storage components through open standards. Information models define type information that determines the structure and behavior of meta data that is exposed by tools and applications at the top layer.

See Also

Meta Data Services Fundamentals

OIM in Meta Data Services

Specifications and Limits

Using Meta Data Services

XML in Meta Data Services