 |
Sypherlink Accelerates Data Integration with Next-Generation Automated Discovery and Mapping Software
Sypherlink Harvester 5 tightens automation and integration with pre-ETL processes
DUBLIN, Ohio, July 15, 2008 –
Information-management-software company Sypherlink, Inc., has introduced advanced discovery and heuristics-mapping capabilities, tighter integration with the extract, transform and load (ETL) process, and an improved graphical user interface in version 5 of its patented, flagship Sypherlink Harvester product offering.
"We know that, modestly, at least half of any data integration or business-intelligence effort is consumed by the discovery, mapping and pre-ETL processes," said Sypherlink CEO James Paat. "We also know that these critical first steps are what relate most to an initiative’s success or failure. Collectively, they are the weak link in the data-integration chain.
"Sypherlink Harvester 5 software strengthens that link," he said, "allowing users to even more rapidly review, map and define data relationships, then feed higher-quality results more tightly to the next step in the data-integration process.
"By combining Harvester’s discovery and mapping capabilities and mapping best practices, users can accelerate the process by at least 50 percent," he continued.
"The average data analyst maps 3 to 5 relationships per hour, but using Harvester, we’ve seen analysts map 60 to 150 relationships in that same hour," he explained, noting that Harvester has already automated and streamlined the data discovery and mapping process for dozens of Fortune 1000 and government organizations.
Harvester 5 highlights:
Advanced Data and Metadata Discovery
The product now captures:
- Expanded database statistics and sample data, including additional data profiling metrics to speed the mapping process, such as row counts, frequency distribution, uniqueness, and cardinality metrics.
- Richer metadata, including primary and foreign keys, and indexes on columns, which give analysts a better idea of how data may be queried or used by an end application.
Enhanced Heuristics Mapping Analysis
- Users can now define how the automated analysis is run against the expanded data and metadata collected by Harvester. Specifically, the "Name Matching" and "Data Matching" heuristics can be turned "ON" or "OFF" individually, and weighted in importance, to more tightly control its ability to automatically determine the field-level relationships across multiple sources at once.
- This advanced analysis feature is especially helpful when Sypherlink Harvester is used for projects in which data sources have little or no documentation or available domain expertise.
Refined Graphical User Interface
- Harvester 5.0 contains a more intuitive user interface, providing point-and-click navigation for accelerated review and mapping of database relationships, including access to rich metadata and sample data.
- Users can now map relevant data sources faster and identify data-quality issues sooner through improved visual displays.
Improved Integration with ETL Processes & Vendors
- New design screens allow for the definition of ETL instructions and enable the automatic export and usage within leading data management tools, including Informatica PowerCenter and IBM DataStage, and open-source vendors such as Pentaho.
- The software now allows for the automatic generation of ETL specification documents: detailed mapping spread sheets used by many ETL architects for the review and finalization of ETL designs.
"With Harvester 5, there is no longer a need for data/business analysts to waste so much time manually querying individual data sources to analyze data, load it into spreadsheets, and create requirements and rules for ETL developers," he continued. "It’s an unnecessary, costly process, both in terms of time, human resources, errors and dollars."
"Other offerings might exist to facilitate some steps in the integration chain, such as data profiling, cleansing, quality and movement, but none provide the unique capabilities that Sypherlink does," explained Paat. "Harvester 5 is a front-end data-integration solution that condenses and improves the pre-ETL process and, therefore, accelerates an entire initiative, improves results AND drives cost out of the process."
About Sypherlink, Inc.
Sypherlink is an information-management-software company that intelligently links critical information across disparate data sources. Its two distinct patented technologies automate much of the data sharing and integration processes, providing corporate-sector and government organizations with faster, more cost-efficient ways to locate, manage and use information. Its core technology is a heuristics matching technology that automates the discovery and mapping of data; the Sypherlink Harvester tool is used by organizations to accelerate and improve the ROI metrics for such key initiatives as: business intelligence/data warehousing; master data management; metadata management; mergers & acquisitions; data governance; and data quality. Sypherlink’s virtualization technology for rapid prototyping provides the capability to access multiple physical, disparate data sources from a single, virtual query. Besides global 1,000 organizations and government agencies, the company’s client/partner base includes leading systems integrators and application/tool providers. For more information about Sypherlink, go to www.sypherlink.com.
Note: Sypherlink and Sypherlink Harvester are trademarks of Sypherlink, Inc. The names of other actual companies, organizations and/or products/services mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
For more information, please contact:
Michael Dickman
(908) 672-1002
michael@smartpr.net |
|
