TERMDEFINITION
APIStands for Application Program Interface. It is a set of routines, protocols and tools for building software applications. They specify how software components should interact. They are used by client applications and components.
Automated Data DiscoveryThe use of an open source tool, OpenAudIT, to automatically discover devices, computers and servers on a network and associated data sources, connect to data sources and “raw” Indexes on these sources, and utilize these indexes to profile, identify, secure and map data to a Standard Data View. Future options will automatically cleanse, transform and standardize “raw” data to initially build indexes for subsequent application query processing.
BitmapA representation of a collection of records in which each bit represents a record. The bit value (0 or 1) represents a match or non-match for the operation that generated the collection.
BooleanDenoting a system of algebraic notation used to represent logical propositions. Boolean algebra is used on bitmaps of collections as part of query processing.
Business Object ViewAn additional view that can be configured in conjunction with the default views on an EIQ SuperAdapter. These views are specified as a join clause in a SQL SELECT statement giving EIQ SuperAdapter admin users the flexibility to specify the join rule among the native tables when needed to answer particular business questions. Business Object Views are queryable on the EIQ SuperAdapter level or on the EIQ Federation Server under which the particular EIQ SuperAdapter resides.
Content IndexOne of three types of indexes utilized by the indexed EIQ Adapters. It uses the raw data content, usually cleansed, transformed and standardized from data sources.
Customer Data IntegrationCustomer Data Integration or CDI is the process of consolidating and managing customer information from all available sources through various interactions with the customers.
Data FederationProvides a form of data virtualization where data is stored and accessed in multiple disparate sources, and virtually represented as if one integrated database through on-demand results data integration.
Data IntegrationCombines data from multiple data sources to create one unified view and result set of that data, often requiring deduplication and master data management to succeed.
DataOpsDataOps is an automated, process-oriented methodology used by analytic and data teams to improve the quality and reduce the cycle time of data analytics. While DataOps began as a set of best practices, it has now matured to become a new and independent approach to data analytics. DataOps applies to the entire data life-cycle from data access to preparation and reporting, and recognizes the interconnected nature of the data analytics team and information technology operations. DataOps incorporates the Agile and DevOps methodologies to shorten the cycle time of analytics development in alignment with business goals. Data virtualization, as offered by WhamTech and other vendors, is usually the means to access and provide data in a DataOps architecture, but WhamTech SmartData Fabric® adds full data capabilities from discovery through analytics, beyond conventional data virtualization realizing the full potential of DataOps.
Data VirtualizationProvides a data access interface that hides the technical aspects of stored data such as location, storage structure, data format, API, access language and other aspects.
DenormalizationThe process of trying to improve the read performance of a database, at the expense of losing some write performance, by adding redundant copies of data or by grouping data. Obtaining a denormalized view of data, however, can be very resource intense and therefore costly.
Distributed Data Virtualization Platform (DDVP)While many data federation, integration, and virtualization solutions are centralized where most processing occurs, DDVP attempts to differentiate by processing on the edge, close to data sources. In most cases, only results are consolidated in a central location. Also see SmartData Fabric® .
EIQExternal Index and Query is the concept used by various EIQ Products™ offered by WhamTech that make up the majority of components in SmartData Fabric® .
EIQ EdgewareThe collection of EIQ Adapters that interface with data sources on the “edge” and consist of EIQ SuperAdapter™, EIQ TurboAdapter™ and EIQ ConventionalAdapter™.
Enterprise SearchThe practice of making content from multiple enterprise-type sources, like databases and web pages on intranets, searchable to a defined audience. Used to describe the software of search information within an enterprise. Usually based on text search technologies as opposed to structured database search using query languages such as SQL.
ETLThe process data goes through when copied to a data warehouse or in some rare cases, a data lake. Data is extracted from multiple sources, transformed for cleansing and standardizing, and then loading into a data warehouse. There is a process called ELT that performs data transformations after raw data is loaded into a data warehouse or data lake, however, this can be complicated as data type and attribute changes create unneccesary copies of data and then there are potential de-duplication and referential integrity issues to deal with.
Event ProcessingThe capture, enrichment, formatting and emission of events. The subsequent routing and further processing of emitted events, sometimes in combination with other events, and the consumption of the processed events.
Foreign KeyA field (or collection of fields) in one table that uniquely identifies a row of another table or the same table. It is defined in a second table, but it refers to the Primary Key in the first table.
Fuzzy MatchingA technique used in computer-assisted translation as a special case of record linkage. It works with matches that may be less than 100% perfect when finding correspondences between segments of a text and entries in a database of previous translations. WhamTech leverages fuzzy matching for query processing, and find relationships and create links between certain data, i.e., entities and associated attributes, within and across data sources.
IndexesA data structure defined on columns in a database table to significantly speed up data retrieval operations. WhamTech uses balanced binary trees as indexes with Boolean operations on virtual and physical bitmaps to execute queries. This low-level approach provides high performance and scalability to indexing and query processing. WhamTech also offers a wide range of indexes and indexed views to significantly improve and extend queries on data source systems without loading up source systems.
InteroperabilityThe ability of computer systems or software to exchange and make use of information.
Internet of Things (IoT)Refers to the ever-growing network of physical objects that feature an IP address for internet connectivity and the communication that occurs between these objects and other Internet-enabled devices and systems.
Link Indexes™One of three types of indexes utilized by the indexed EIQ Adapters. It’s formed to link records in and across data sources based on specific criteria. These indexes work with normal content indexes to enable accelerated database joins, link mapping, degrees of separation queries, link analysis, virtual CDI-MDM (Master Data Management), physical data, and logical and ontology model discovery among other capabilities.
Logical Data Warehouse (LDW)A data warehouse that virtually adds new data sources to an existing/physical data warehouse. This is different from a Virtual Data Warehouse where there is no existing/physical data warehouse.
Master Data IndexesOne of three types of indexes utilized by the indexed EIQ Adapters. Master Data Indexes are formed during the Master Data Management build process. Records are merged together and then referenced using an MDM ID.
Master Data Management (MDM)A comprehensive method of enabling an enterprise to link all of its critical data to one record called a master record. This record then provides a common point of reference. Typically, enterprises create master records for business-critical data such as customers, patients and products.
Metadata DictionaryA feature in the EIQ Product Suite that can be imported from a Standard Data Model of some form – typically, an industry Standard Data Model, e.g., ACORD for insurance, HL7 for healthcare and NIEM for federal government. It has very specific data types and definitions for each of the attributes and the Standard Data View created from it would inherit these. Typically, but not always, the Metadata Dictionary would in-turn inherit very specific data types and definitions from an industry Standard Data Model. The Metadata Dictionary can be created without an industry Standard Data Model, e.g., from an Enterprise Data Warehouse, an ERP system or just a list that evolved or evolves over time.
OpenSSLA third party application that compliments the EIQ Product Suite by creating a secure connection over networks that is immune to eavesdropping and ascertaining the identity of the party at the other end of the connection.
Primary KeyA key in a relational database that is unique for each record. It is a unique identifier, such as a driver license number, telephone number (including area code) or vehicle identification number.
Query LanguageA language for the specification of procedures for the retrieval (and also modification) of information from a database.
Revenue Cycle ManagementAll administrative and clinical functions that contribute to the capture, management and collection of patient service revenue.
RTIRead, Transform and Index processes data for reading, cleaning, transforming, standardizing and indexing data in WhamTech EIQ Indexes. Typically, the data is discarded and not stored in EIQ Indexes.
SchemaThe organization or structure of a database. The activity of data modeling leads to a schema.
Shared-nothingA distributed computing architecture in which each node is independent and self-sufficient, and there is no single point of contention across the system. None of the nodes share memory or disk storage.
Single Patient ViewRefers to the ability to consolidate all patient information into one single view.
SmartData Fabric® (SDF)A synergistic combination or EIQ adapters, federation servers and other software tools that are WhamTech-owned or third-party. Together these components comprise a software “fabric” designed and built to plug-and-play in existing IT architectures and complement and leverage existing IT systems, tools and applications. SDF assumes a very data-centric approach, plugs gaps, and enhances and enables many applications from basic operations to advanced analytics – discovery to insight (d2i).
SmartData Fabric® MATWhamTech’s merger and acquisition tool (MAT) uses the SmartData Fabric® to run across fragmented and often siloed data sources. It successfully integrates multiple systems without copying or moving any of the original source data.
Standard Data ModelA data model that is widely applied in a particular field, facilitating and accelerating information sharing through a standard vocabulary and pre-negotiated semantics, format, and quality standards for the data being exchanged.
Standard Data ViewA typically denormalized, i.e., single table, list of entities and their associated attributes. Standard Data Views are created from a dropdown Metadata Dictionary, inheriting the specific data types and definitions for each of the attributes therein. The entities in the Standard Data View are designated for keeping track of Link Indexes and for Master Data Management (MDM). The attributes associated with the entities in the Standard Data View are designated to be used by MDM for a complex (more than one attribute) entity match and merge process. This is currently known as ‘SuperSchema’ in the EIQ Product Suite but will change to Standard Data View in the future.
TokenizationThe process of substituting a sensitive data element with a non-sensitive equivalent, referred to as a token that has no extrinsic or exploitable meaning or value.
Virtual Data Warehouse (VDW)A virtual data warehouse combines access to multiple sources to create a single view of data usually with data quality and master data management addressed. This is different from a Logical Data Warehouse where existing/physical data warehouses are extended.
Virtual Index/Virtual Key (VK)An index that contains no data, just index trees and corresponding record number lists.
Virtual Master Entity Index (VMEI)An interactive and highly intuitive visualization index of quality Business Intelligence (BI) and advanced analytics of all persons, organizations, devices and more associated with a healthcare system – (data and content). This is related to MDM.
WhamEE™ Entity ExtractionAn add-on software component that provides entity extraction feature from all types of data sources including sources with unstructured, structured, and semi-structured data. Use of the add-on requires the open-source text analytics software GATE.
WhamSearch™ Text IndexesSearches for data, metadata and text in databases, files, email, Web documents, blogs, social media and more. A content and context-directed Intelligent Spider™, it is used as an add-on for other EIQ products for structured, unstructured and semi-structured data search.