data catalog
DAY-tah KAT-ah-log
ˈdeɪtə ˈkætəlɒɡListen
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Syllable breakdown
Dictionary meaning
a curated inventory of an organization's data assets — datasets, tables, columns, reports, pipelines — enriched with metadata, data lineage, quality scores, and business glossary definitions; enables data discovery (finding the right data), governance (who can access what), and trust (is this data accurate and current?); key tools include Apache Atlas, Alation, Collibra, and DataHub; foundational to implementing a data mesh architecture
Examples
- Without a data catalog, analysts spent hours searching for the right dataset — and often used the wrong one.
- The data catalog surfaced 2,000 previously undiscovered datasets during the company's data governance initiative.
American: 'catalog'; British: 'catalogue'. Pronunciation identical.
Synonyms: data inventory, metadata catalog, enterprise data catalog
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