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MDM Maturity Levels 91

a legacy database in DB2/MVS and another value IdValue#2
in an Oracle/Unix internet database. The virtual MDM
system manages a mapping table between the two identifiers
(IdValue#1, DB2/MVS and IdValue#2, Oracle/Unix) so as to
unify, virtually, the scattered customer information,
artificially, across two different databases.

Sometimes, virtual MDM expands the description of the
objects using a header record which is frozen when the object
is created. It is not possible to update this subsequently. For
example, for the business object “Contract”, it may be the
date and place of adhesion to the contract which will not
change in the future. These headers are used to optimize
queries by utilizing the static data in the objects: if the
header information suffices, it is not necessary to access
databases spread across different silos.

Virtual MDM allows better control of the integrity rules
which link objects across multiple systems. It constitutes a
master database for the teams in charge of systems
1
integrations .
It has been stated that this type of MDM system does not
include knowledge of the data elements that make up the
objects.

Consequently, the functions of business administration do
not exist. It is not possible to put forward a way of managing
versions, using a unified user interface for data entry,
modifications, and queries, managing a full and unified audit
trail on data use, etc. The value of this type of MDM, for
business users, is limited. The opaqueness in the
administration of reference and master data remains the
same.

1. In the EAI/ESB.