Database catalog

A database catalog of a database instance consists of metadata in which definitions of database objects such as base tables, views (virtual tables), synonyms, value ranges, indexes, users, and user groups are stored.^[1][2] It is an architecture product that documents the database's content and data quality.^[3]

Standards

The SQL standard specifies a uniform means to access the catalog, called the INFORMATION_SCHEMA, but not all databases follow this, even if they implement other aspects of the SQL standard. For an example of database-specific metadata access methods, see Oracle metadata.

See also

• Data dictionary
• Data lineage
• Data Catalog Vocabulary, a W3C standard for metadata
• Metadata registry, central location where metadata definitions are stored and maintained
• Metadata repository, a database created to store metadata