Specifications
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In addition to offering exibility, MDS allows you to manage master data proactively.
Instead of discovering data problems in failed ETL processes or inaccurate reports, you can
engage business users as data stewards. As data stewards, they have access to Master Data
Manager, a Web application that gives them ownership of the processes that identify and
react to data quality issues. For example, a data steward can specify conditions that trigger
actions, such as creating a default value for missing data, sending an e-mail notication, or
launching a workow. Data stewards can use Master Data Manager not only to manage data
quality issues, but also to edit master data by adding new members or changing values. They
can also enhance master data with additional attributes or hierarchical structures quickly and
easily without IT support. Using Master Data Manager, data stewards can also monitor chang-
es to master data through a transaction logging system that tracks who made a change, when
the change was made, which record was changed, and what the value was both before and
after the change. If necessary, the data steward can even reverse a change.
MDS uses Windows integrated security for authentication and a ne-grained, role-based
system for authorization that allows administrators to give the right people the direct access
they need to manage and update master data. As an administrator, you can grant broad access
to all objects in a model, or you can restrict users to specic rows and columns in a data set.
To capture the state of master data at specic points in time, MDS allows administrators
to create versions of the master data. As long as a version has an Open status, anyone with
access to the model can make changes to it. Then you can lock the version for validation and
correction, and commit the version when the model is ready use. If requirements change
later, you copy a committed version and start the process anew.
Because MDS is a platform, not simply an application, you can use the API to integrate
your existing applications with MDS and automate the import or export processes. Anything
that you can do by using Master Data Manager can be built into your own custom application
because the MDS API supports all operations. This capability also enables Microsoft partners
to quickly build master data support into their applications with domain-specic user inter-
faces and transparent application integration.
Master Data Services Components
Although MDS is included on the SQL Server installation media, you perform the MDS instal-
lation separately from the SQL Server installation by using a wizard interface. The wizard
installs Master Data Services Conguration Manager, installs the les necessary to run the
Master Data Services Web service, and registers assemblies. After installation, you use the
Master Data Services Conguration Manager to create and congure a Master Data Services
database in a SQL Server instance that you specify, create the Master Data Services Web ap-
plication, and enable the Web service.