Metadata are a key element in every data infrastructure including service-oriented architectures (SOA). Metadata, as a set of structured data descriptions, contain all information relevant to the data, such as the date when the data was created and the organisation that provided it. It may also describe which methods were used for data creation or where it has already been used.
International standards — intuitive metadata management
Preludio offers a web-based environment which allows users to intuitively create, edit and manage their metadata. And it is not just a tool used to describe spatial data and services according to the international ISO 19115/19119 standard. It also assists the user in finding data and information on standardised metadata descriptions and web services. Last but not least, metadata produced with Preludio can be directly transferred to upstream portals, like the INSPIRE Portal, the GeoPortal of the German Federal Government or PortalU, the German Environmental Information Portal. The so-called CSW interface defined by the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) is an integral part of disy Preludio.
Preludio Standard
Preludio Standard can be used for non-commercial purposes without paying any licence fees. After registering, the software is available for immediate download. The software provides all major functions required to process metadata for spatial data and services in compliance with international standards. This includes search options, such as full text queries or search by area, time or specific keywords (e.g. a contact person). The tool also offers a multilingual user interface and user administration.
Preludio Professional
As an upgrade of Preludio Standard, Preludio Professional provides a complete framework for the development of larger infrastructures. The software therefore contains additional modules making sure that the metadata management is integrated into the customer's IT environment and individual workflow. This includes a release mechanism, meaning all metadata records can be checked according to the so-called four-eye-principle before being published. Once the quality of the metadata has been validated, an authorised user will decide whether the data is meant for internal use only or can be released for external use as well. So the user can also control which metadata records are distributed via the CSW interface. Another key feature is the possibility to read metadata from shapefiles or ArcSDE and other proprietary middleware systems and to integrate it into a metadata management system. Additionally, metadata can be stored together with the actual geodata to an Oracle or PostgreSQL database, which is essential for easy integration of data into comprehensive information and reporting systems.
