Mayo Clinic's Information Architecture: A Meta-data

Repository Implementation

Copyright, 2000 © Mayo Foundation

April 19, 2000Minnesota DAMA Chapter

Sonja Ziegler - Data AdministratorMayo Foundation, Rochester, Minnesota USA

Agenda

• Background Overview

• The Vision

• The Scope

• The Project

• The Future

Background

• Began the search for a comprehensive data model repository in 1995

• Purchased Rochade in 1996• Training and familiarization throughout

1996• Established steering committee in late 1996• Throughout 1996-1998 a variety of projects

were undertaken to address varying needs

Lessons Learned

• Identification of a specific business need that requires attention is crucial

• The scope of the implementation efforts must be tightly controlled

• An appropriately staffed repository team is needed for implementation and coordination

• A committed user/proponent must be engaged in the project

The Vision

Information Architecture• Data Architecture

Documentation of all pertinent information about an organization’s data and its interactions

• System ArchitectureThe documentation of applications areas and their relations to business areas,

information systems, vendors and IT personnel

• Business RulesThe documentation of business related knowledge that defines the rules of

behavior to support the business’ operating procedures using business vernacular

• Impact AnalysisThe ability of developers to gauge the impact that a change to some

architectural element will have upon its surrounding elements

The Scope

• The Mayo Data Architecture - our first step to a complete Information Architecture and we had a committed user base!

• A top-down approach was not feasible because of current company culture

• With a diverse multi-platform environment, just documenting what’s there is a vast improvement

• Recognizing the difference between the efforts that can be automated by the repository and those that can’t

The Data Architecture Project

• The Team• The RIMs (Repository Information Models)• The User Interface• The Infrastructure Components• Mayo’s Problem Space

– Summarization– The Data– Population– Our Goal

The TeamThe Team

• One FTE for Database and System Administration

• One FTE (at least) for Application Development

Plus a group of individuals to act as users.

- FTE (full time employee)

• One FTE for Project Coordination/Management

Mayo Data Conceptual Level RIM

DA/Subject-Area

DA/AbbreviationDA/Attribute-

CategoryDA/Synonym

DA/EntityDA/RelationshipDA/Prefer-

RepresentationDA/Attribute

DA/Entity-MAP Rule

DA/Relationship-MAP-Rule

DA/Attribute-MAP-Rule

Mayo Data Logical Level RIM

XREF/EntityXREF/Relationship XREF/Attribute

XREF/Data-Structure

XREF/Reference XREF/FieldXREF/Data-

Schema

XREF/Data-Model

DA/Entity-MAP Rule

DA/Relationship-MAP-Rule

DA/Attribute-

MAP-Rule

DA/Subject-Area

DA/EntityDA/Relationship DA/Attribute

PWRDES /EntityPWRDES /

Relationship

PWRDES/CDM-Model

PWRDES /Attribute

Mayo Data Physical Level RIM

SYB/ColumnSYB/TableSYB/Database NSSQL/Table NSSQL/Column

XREF/EntityXREF/Relationship XREF/Attribute

XREF/Data-Structure

XREF/Reference XREF/FieldXREF/Data-

Schema

XREF/Data-Model

PWRDES /EntityPWRDES /

Relationship

PWRDES/CDM-Model

PWRDES /Attribute

Mayo Application RIM

DA/Subject-Area

DA/EntityDA/Relationship DA/Attribute

DA/Entity-MAP Rule

DA/Relationship-MAP-Rule

DA/Attribute-

MAP-Rule

XREF/EntityXREF/Relationship XREF/Attribute

XREF/Data-Structure

XREF/Reference XREF/Field

XREF/Data-Schema

XREF/Data-Model

Appl/Attribute-MAP-Rule

Appl/CRUD-MAP-Rule

Appl/Application

Appl/Message

Appl/Interface

DA/Interface-Attribute

The User Interface & Infrastructure Components

USER INTERFACE• VIASOFT™ AutoPilot• MDX-Manager

BUSES AND SCANNERS FROM VIASOFT™

• Sybase™ Catalogs• PowerDesigner™ Models• DB2® Catalogs• COOL:Gen™• MVS JCL• COBOL Programs• COBOL Data Libraries• Assembler ProgramsDEVELOPED SCANNERS• Enscribe• FOCUS®

• NonStop™ SQLCSV IMPORT UTILITY• Microsoft® Access Data

Rochade™

Data Importation

MAINTENANCE• Application• Data Architecture• Cross Reference

Maintenance

METAQUEST™ QUERY/REPORTING MODULES• Easy (EZ)• Dual Display (DD)• Extended (EX)• Power (PW)

• Administration Tool

Query & Reporting

MetaQuest™ Cross Reference Update

MetaQuest™ Query/ EZ-Query

MetaQuest™ Report Display

MetaQuest™ Query/ DD-Query

Problem Summarization

• Mayo has chosen to follow a philosophy of selecting many best-of-breed applications and then interfacing between them.

• Their relative data models were not designed from an overriding Enterprise Architecture (a bottom-up approach).

• As a result, we have data concepts represented differently and named in many different ways throughout our information architecture.

ISSUES: • the need to understand our diverse data concepts• the need to integrate our applications

The Data

• MICS (Mayo Integrated Clinical Systems) Data Architecture Project undertaken by Data Administration in cooperation with the application development teams

• The Data Architecture Model (DAM), the Application Logical Models (ALMs), and the database catalog information

Population of the Repository

• Real work here, no silver bullets

• Data entry by summer student personnel

• Commitment from management for project• Identified personnel from Data

Administration and development projects• Ongoing processes established to maintain

integrity of repository contents

Mayo’s Goal

To have information at hand that will facilitate the understanding needed for:• creating efficient application interfaces

• effectively designing new databases

• redesigning existing databases.

Now & Our Future

• Continued commitment from Data Administration to populate the Data Architecture

• Benefits are already being seen, which turns into good advertising for further IS involvement

• Prioritize and keep the scope under control of the varying requests for implementations of the repository (Mayo Rochade Steering Committee)

Questions

Contact Information

Sonja Ziegler - ziegler.sonja@mayo.edu

Mayo Foundation

200 1st Street SW – Massey Studio

Rochester, MN 55905