IBM InfoSphere Information Analyzer
You use information analysis to understand the content, structure, and overall quality of your data at a given point in time. This analysis aids you in understanding the inputs to your integration process, ranging from individual fields to high-level data entities. Information analysis also enables you to correct problems with structure or validity before they affect your project.
Running InfoSphere® Information Analyzer
To work with IBM® InfoSphere Information Analyzer, you run the IBM InfoSphere Information Server console.
- Open the IBM InfoSphere Information Server console.
- Depending on the suite, suite component, and project roles that are assigned to you, select a task to complete. For example, if you have the suite component role, Information Analyzer Data Administrator, you can add data sources. If you have the suite component role, Information Analyzer User and the project role, Data Operator, you can run a column analysis job.
Overview
InfoSphere Information Analyzer evaluates the content and structure of your data for consistency and quality. InfoSphere Information Analyzer also helps you to improve the accuracy of your data by making inferences and identifying anomalies.
Scenarios
You can create projects that assess the quality of your data, profile data for integration and migration, and verify external data sources. Scenarios are provided to show the end-to-end process for different types of information analysis projects.
Methodology and best practices
The analysis methodology and best practices provide a deeper insight into the analytical methods employed by InfoSphere Information Analyzer to analyze source data and rules.
Configuring
After you successfully install InfoSphere Information Server, which includes the InfoSphere Information Analyzer product module, you must do additional configuration before you or other users can begin analyzing data. This configuration includes defining InfoSphere Information Analyzer projects.
Managing metadata
After you import metadata into the metadata repository, you might want to add or modify information about the metadata such as the description of a table. You can also add information such as contacts, policies, and terms from IBM InfoSphere Information Governance Catalog to the imported schemas, directories, tables, files, and data fields.
Analyzing data with the thin client
You can analyze data sets, and view and edit analysis results in a browser. You can also view data quality scores for tables and columns.
Analyzing data with the workbench
Analyzing data is the primary purpose of InfoSphere Information Analyzer. To understand the quality level and the accuracy of the data in your data sources, you can use column analysis. Then you can use more detailed analysis methods such as key and cross-domain analysis to analyze relationships among different segments of data. You can also define data rules to determine whether the data meets additional specific requirements that you specify. These data rules can be invoked in-stream as part of an IBM InfoSphere DataStage® and QualityStage® job, or within an InfoSphere Information Services Director web service.
Information analysis results using stored procedures in IADB
You use the stored procedures to get the analysis results in IADB. To do that you have to install the IADB and run the commands. The stored procedures are installed automatically during the installation. However, if the stored procedures are not installed due to any issues, you need to install them manually.
Publishing and transferring analysis results
You can view an analysis summary and publish it to the metadata repository. You might want to publish statistics and annotations for a table or column to provide developers in additional suite components, such as IBM InfoSphere DataStage or InfoSphere Information Governance Catalog, access to analytical results.
Importing and exporting projects from the client
You can import and export project and analysis assets and move them between metadata repositories by using the project wizards that are available in the InfoSphere Information Analyzer client.
Running and scheduling InfoSphere Information Analyzer jobs
You can run and schedule InfoSphere Information Analyzer jobs outside of the InfoSphere Information Analyzer client.
Managing tables
You can manage reference tables and tables that are generated during analysis. You can open a table, delete a table, export a table to a file, and view the metadata in a table.
Developing applications with the HTTP API
You can develop applications with this application programming interface (API) to access and analyze InfoSphere Information Analyzer content.
Reports for information analysis
You can create reports that summarize analysis results and show details about your project. Reports are saved in the metadata repository and can be accessed by any user who is authorized to view them.
Troubleshooting InfoSphere Information Analyzer
These topics contain troubleshooting information for InfoSphere Information Analyzer.
InfoSphere Information Server suite-wide glossary
This glossary contains terms and definitions for InfoSphere Information Server.