Enterprise Data Services Catalog (EDSC)

The benefits of data are realized when data is available and accessible.  Knowing what data is available, important, and how it is defended gives the Army an operational advantage. 

In order to become a data aware organization, the Army has initiated the development of an Enterprise Data Services Catalog.  The catalog is an interactive electronic database that lists the Army’s Authoritative Data Sources and enables the development, refinement, integration, and maintenance of the Army’s ever-more-critical data assets.  

Currently, the Army has disparate, isolated data sources, which limit data sharing, hinders the speed of decision making at echelon, and prohibits the use of current and emerging cloud capabilities, including evolving artificial intelligence and machine learning services and tools. 

To evolve the Army into a more information based organization, data will need to be unleashed for utilization across mission areas.  This effort will help gain better insight, maintain technical overmatch, and ensure operational advantage over the adversaries. 

When data owners, decision makers, stewards, engineers, analysts, and scientists are able to easily find, understand, access, and use data and associated metadata, they will be able to use the best data and analytics resources for their projects, achieve faster results, and make better decisions.   
 

The Data Architecture of EDSC

 

Technology Used in EDSC

Current Status of EDSC
  • 6 BMA and 4 EIEMA Domains Participating
  • 581 Systems
  • 200 Complete System Data Dictionaries
  • Help Desk Established
  • In Active Use for Data Discovery
  • Tableau Reporting
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What Is a Data Catalog
A Data Catalog is an organized inventory of data assets in an organization.  It uses metadata to help an organization manage data.  It also helps data professionals to collect, organize, and enrich metadata to support data discovery and governance
 
Goals of EDSC
1.Provide Army-wide IT System Metadata Management
2.Provide Visibility into Army Data Assets for Effective Use and Reuse
3. Act as the Authoritative Source for Authoritative Data Sources
4. Act as the System of Record for Visible Accessible Understandable Trusted Interoperable Secure (VAUTIS) Status Army Data
5. Enable/Automate Data Standards Governance
6. Support Analytics Cataloging and Governance
7. Inform System Implementation Planning
8. Serve as Army Source for DoD and Federal-Level Data Visibility