GlossaryGuide

The maintenance and storage of previous copies of a piece of information for security, diagnostics, and other interests. Versioning also pertains to the ability to create and manage different versions of the same information.

A methodology used in systems analysis to identify, explain, and organize system requirements. It is made up of a set of likely sequences of interactions between systems and users in a specific environment and associated with a particular goal. Use cases can be applied at various stages of software development including planning, software design, development,… Continue reading Use Case Analysis

A standard analysis and design language created to assist in modeling complex software systems by using a common object-oriented notation. UML is rapidly becoming the de facto standard for describing and sharing system design data. Many software vendors have chosen UML as their notation for repository (see definition of repository) products to aid in sharing… Continue reading Unified Modeling Language (UML)

The database in which data will be loaded or inserted.

An individual responsible for maintaining a multiuser computer system such as a computer network. The duties of the system administrator typically include adding and configuring new workstations, establishing user accounts, installing system-wide software, performing computer virus protection procedures, and allocating computer storage space. The system administrator is often called the “sysadmin.” Small organizations usually have… Continue reading System Administrator

A standardized language for querying information from a database. SQL was first introduced as a commercial database system in 1979 and has since been the favorite query language for database management systems running on minicomputers and mainframes. Increasingly, however, SQL is being supported by PC database systems because it supports distributed databases (see definition of… Continue reading Structured Query Language (SQL)

A set of structured query language (SQL) statements (see definition of structured query language) that is stored in the database with an assigned name and in compiled form so it can be shared by a number of programs. The use of stored procedures can be helpful in controlling access to data (end users may enter… Continue reading Stored Procedure

Statements of fact, quality, procedures, or content, to which applicable data entities are compared for purposes of acceptance or use. Standards are documented agreements used to justify decisions, implement policy, and ensure that data processes, products, or services meet their intended purpose. Using common standards increases the shareability, reliability, and effectiveness of data. Many different… Continue reading Standards

Any information about the location, shape, and relationships of geographic features. For highways this includes the relative locations and distances of transportation infrastructure.

The ability to change size to support larger or smaller volumes of data and more or fewer users with minimal impact on the unit cost of business and the procurement of additional services.