Be the Master of Your Domain - ECCMA Stacey.pdf · Allstate Insurance at a Glance . 4 October 24,...

© Allstate Insurance Company Proprietary and Confidential

Be the Master of Your Domain

Doug Stacey Information Architect

Allstate Insurance Co.

A Domain based approach to

Enterprise Codes Management

Proprietary and Confidential October 24, 2012 2

Agenda

• Allstate Insurance at a Glance

• Introduction

• Codes Management Topologies

• Domain Meta-Model

• Codified Metadata Usage

• Deployment Models

• Opportunities

• Appendix


• The Allstate Corporation is the nation’s largest publicly held personal lines insurer

serving approximately 16 million households.

• Allstate is reinventing protection and retirement to help customers insure what

they have today and better prepare for tomorrow through its Allstate, Encompass,

Esurance and Answer Financial brand names.

• Consumers access insurance products (auto, home, life and retirement) and

services through Allstate agencies, independent agencies, and Allstate exclusive

financial representatives in the U.S. and Canada, as well as via www.allstate.com

and 1-800 Allstate®.

• Allstate is widely known through the “You’re In Good Hands With Allstate®”

slogan.

• The Allstate Foundation, Allstate employees, agency owners are committed to

local communities and the corporation provided $28 million in 2011 to thousands

of nonprofit organizations and important causes across the United States.

Allstate Insurance at a Glance

http://www.allstate.com/


Team Structure

Information Analysts (Data Analysts)

Codes Analysts

Repository Administrators

Development Team

Team Awards & Recognitions

Wilshire Award of high recognition for metadata best practices - 2002.

Wilshire Award for best metadata implementation for warehouses –

2003.


Introduction

What is Enterprise Codes Management?

• It is the processes and tools used to manage and maintain codified metadata and make this information available to the different applications in the enterprise.

Benefits of an Enterprise Code Management System:

• Consistent metadata across disparate systems

• Ability to provide means to research codified metadata across the enterprise

• Ability to provide codes to support applications runtime requirement

• Ability to generate relationships and data translations across multiple applications


Codes Management Topologies

Application Centric

• Applications manage the

codes and assign values to

the codes.

• Applications (can) assign

multiple values to the same

code.

Enterprise Centric

• Enterprise manages the

discrete values and assigns

codes per usage scenario.

• Codes explain how the value

is used within the context of a

scenario or an application.


Application Centric Topology

• Applications manage the codes and assign values to the codes.

• Features:

• Easier for a single application to manage data

• Supports code code hierarchies and code code relationships

• Supports multiple values or locales per code

• Opportunities:

• Support identifying shared values

• Automatically support code code translations or conversions


Enterprise Centric Topology

• Enterprise manages the discrete values and assigns codes per usage

scenario.

• Features:

• Supports identifying a master set of values and then assigning codes per

usage scenario

• Easily supports code code translations or conversion based on shared

business values

• Supports value value hierarchies and value value relationships

• Supports multiple locales per value

• Opportunities:

• Easily assign the same value to different codes in one usage scenario


Domain Meta-Model

Generic Domain

Simple Derived or Complex

Enumerated

Range

Non-EnumeratedValid CombinationCalculated

Sub-Set

Domain: “A representation of the set of possible values that may be taken by a particular attribute”


Domain Meta-Model Enumerated Domains

State

Illinois

Ohio

Michigan

Texas

California

Florida

Gender Type

Male

Female

Other

Unknown

• Enumerated domains have a finite number of elements.

• It is very common to have a static list of elements.

• Data is verified by looking for an exact match with any of the elements in the domain.

• Example : State, Gender, Policy Lines, Products

Generic Domain


Enumerated

Range


Sub-Set


Sample Domain Data

Value

Code

ACORD Warehouse

Investments Claims

Male 1 M 002

Female 2 F 001

Unknown 3 U

Other O 003

Code Value

1 Male

2 Female

3 Unknown

Code Value

M Male

F Female

U Unknown

O Other

Gender Domain

Code Value

002 MALE

001 FEMALE

003 NOT IDENTIFIED

Warehouse Code Value

M Male

F Female

U Unknown

O Others

Investments

ACORD Claims

Enterprise Centric Application Centric


Sample Statistics

Code Sets Per Domain Distribution

0

500

1000

1500

2000

1 2 3-10 11-20 >20

Code Sets Count

Co

un

t o

f D

om

ain

s

Business Values Distribution

0

500

1000

1500

2000

1-10 11-100 100-1000 >1000

Business Values Count

Co

un

t o

f D

om

ain

s

• These stats show a distribution of code

sets and values in a sample

implementation consisting of

approximately 3500 enumerated

domains.

Enterprise Domains Reuse per Usage Scenario

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

1 2-3 4-5 6-10 11-25 >25

Usage Scenario (or Systems) Count

Co

un

t o

f D

om

ain

s

• These stats are for informational purposes

and do not reflect actual data

• Different implementations have different stats


Codified Metadata Usage

• Scenario 1 : Allowed Values Lists

• Scenario 2 : Reporting & Display

• Scenario 3 : Validation

• Scenario 4 : Possible Combination

• Scenario 5 : Rule Based Calculations

• Scenario 6 : Translation and Conversion


Codified Metadata Usage Usage Scenario 1 : Allowed Values List

Codes tables are used to present a list of all allowed values to the user to

make a selection (i.e. drop downs, lists, checkboxes).

Codes Table

Domain 1

Domain 2

ILIllinoisDomain 2

MIMichiganDomain 2

001Type 1Domain 1

002Type 2Domain 1

003Type 3Domain 1

Domain 2

Domain 2

Domain 2

Domain 2

Domain CodeValue

TXTexas

NYNew York

FLFlorida

CACalifornia

ILIllinoisDomain 2

MIMichiganDomain 2

001Type 1Domain 1

002Type 2Domain 1

003Type 3Domain 1

Domain 2

Domain 2

Domain 2

Domain 2

Domain CodeValue

TXTexas

NYNew York

FLFlorida

CACalifornia

`


Codified Metadata Usage Usage Scenario 2 : Reporting & Display

Codes tables are used to show the value of a code presented in a readable

format. (i.e. code ZX243 could be displayed in a report or on the screen as

“Item Type 243”).

Codes Table

New York

New York

Illinois

Illinois

State CodeName

FemalePerson 4

MalePerson 3

MalePerson 2

MalePerson 1

New York

New York

Illinois

Illinois

State CodeName

FemalePerson 4

MalePerson 3

MalePerson 2

MalePerson 1

002

002

001

001

State Code Gender CodeName

FPerson 4

MPerson 3

MPerson 2

MPerson 1

002

002

001

001


FPerson 4

MPerson 3

MPerson 2

MPerson 1

Convert U

sing

State C

ode

Convert U

sing

Gender T

ype

003…State Code

002New YorkState Code

001IllinoisState Code

Gender Type

Gender Type

Gender Type

Gender Type

Domain CodeValue

0Other

UUnknown

FFemale

MMale

003…State Code



Gender Type

Gender Type

Gender Type

Gender Type

Domain CodeValue

0Other

UUnknown

FFemale

MMale


Codified Metadata Usage Usage Scenario 3 : Validation

Codes tables are used to validate the existence (or lack of) a code.

This operation is very useful for cleansing a feed before saving it to the warehouse. It is also useful in ETL processing to accept or reject messages.

002

002

001

001


FPerson 4

MPerson 3

MPerson 2

MPerson 1

002

002

001

001


FPerson 4

MPerson 3

MPerson 2

MPerson 1

Codes Table



003…State Code

Gender Type

Gender Type

Gender Type

Gender Type

Domain CodeValue

0Other

UUnknown

FFemale

MMale



003…State Code

Gender Type

Gender Type

Gender Type

Gender Type

Domain CodeValue

0Other

UUnknown

FFemale

MMale

Validate Using State Code

Validate Using Gender Type


Codified Metadata Usage Usage Scenario 4 : Possible Combination

Codes tables are used to present the possible variation of any combination of

codes.

Codes Table

20002002

0002

0001

0001

0001

Product ColorState

1002

1002

2001

1001

20002002

0002

0001

0001

0001

Product ColorState

1002

1002

2001

1001

0004Prod 4Product Code

1WhiteColor

2BlackColor



003…State Code

Color

Product Code

Product Code

Product Code

Domain CodeValue

3Other

0003Prod 3

0002Prod 2

0001Prod 1

0004Prod 4Product Code

1WhiteColor

2BlackColor



003…State Code

Color

Product Code

Product Code

Product Code

Domain CodeValue

3Other

0003Prod 3

0002Prod 2

0001Prod 1

20002002

0002

0001

0001

0001

Product ColorState

1002

1002

2001

1001

20002002

0002

0001

0001

0001

Product ColorState

1002

1002

2001

1001

V

alid

ate

Row

Database Table or Data Feed

Valid Combinations Table


Codified Metadata Usage Usage Scenario 5 : Rule Based Calculations

Codes tables are used to generate a value based on multiple input values

(i.e. the state code along with the product code determines the discount).

Codes Table

Complex Code Table

Parameter 1

State Code

001

Parameter 2

Product Code

0002 Output Value

Discount

0.25

.250002002

0001

0003

0002

0001

Product DiscountState

.35002

.35001

.25001

.15001

.250002002

0001

0003

0002

0001

Product DiscountState

.35002

.35001

.25001

.15001


Codified Metadata Usage Usage Scenario 6 : Translations and Conversions

Codes tables are used to translate a code from an input feed to another code in an output stream.

This functionality is critical to the success of any messaging system or ETL operation between multiple systems.

Codes Table

u

u

f

m

MI

NY

IL

Target Code



003…State Code

Gender Type

Gender Type

Gender Type

Gender Type

Domain Source CodeValue

0Other

UUnknown

FFemale

MMale

u

u

f

m

MI

NY

IL

Target Code



003…State Code

Gender Type

Gender Type

Gender Type

Gender Type

Domain Source CodeValue

0Other

UUnknown

FFemale

MMale

Source System

State Code

001

Target System

State Code

IL

Code Translation Table


Deployment Models Push Model : Individual Table Deployment

• More suitable for database application

• Practical only for a small number of tables

• Uses one table for every domain or codes set

• Simple to build and develop

• Small number of rows in each table

• Applications can do a simple join to the table to consume the data

• Metadata tables in multiple locations

• Very difficult to manage

Application A

Application B

Dom A Dom B Dom C

Dom B Dom D

Metadata Codes

Repository

Application A

Users

Application B

Users

Codes

Management

Staff


Deployment Models Pull Model : Single Enterprise Table Model

• Suitable for database side applications

• Uses one table for all codes used by the application (or for all usage scenarios and applications)

• Primary tables keys include the domain and the usage scenario

• The number of rows in the table may grow to a significant number

• Moderately easy to join to the table

• Relatively easy to manage

Enterprise Codes

Database

Enterprise Codes Table

Metadata Codes

Repository

Application A

Users

Application B

Users

Codes

Management

Staff

App A

App B


Deployment Models Services Orientated and/or Web Services

• Strategically positioned SOA architecture

• Suitable for applications capable of consuming services

• Layer on top of the enterprise tables

• Provides additional layers of permissions and easier to track/validate access

• Ability to log and meter transactions and access

• Caching and performance

Enterprise Codes

Database

Enterprise Codes Table

Metadata Codes

Repository

Application A

Users Application B

Users

Codes

Management

Staff

App A

App B

Codes Services


Process & Implementation Opportunities

• Convince existing applications to adopt the enterprise centric

model

• Integrate established systems into the enterprise centric model

• Determine how to stay current with codes

• Determine how and who to manage the content of the release

versions

• Determine when to re-use and when to create new values


Appendix


Domain Meta-Model Simple Domains

• Simple domains are the basic blocks of the domain meta model.

• The types that make up the simple domains can be used as an independent unit or

combined to form a complex domain.

Generic Domain


Enumerated

Range


Sub-Set


Domain Meta-Model Non-Enumerated Domains

Coverage

Description

note 1

note 2

….

First Name

George

Bill

Jimmy

…

• Non-Enumerated domains do not have a finite number of elements.

• Data is verified by looking for features of the content, such as data length,

numeric/alpha/alphanumeric, etc.

• Example : First Name, Coverage Description, Premium Amount, Social Security

Numbers

Generic Domain


Enumerated

Range


Sub-Set


Domain Meta-Model Range Domains

Percentage Points

.1

.2

….

Effective Date

1/1/2000

1/2/2000

1/3/2000

…

• Range domains are special domains that exhibit features from both the enumerated

and non-enumerated.

• Domains might not have a finite number of elements, but contents follows a pattern

(i.e. any date from 1/1/2008 until now).

• Data is verified by looking for a valid value within a range of values.

• Example : Policy Effective Date, Percentage Points

Generic Domain


Enumerated

Range


Sub-Set


Domain Meta-Model Complex or Derived Domains

• Complex domains derive their contents based on contents from one or more domains.

• Each item will be composed from many sub items, which themselves might be either

simple or complex in nature.

• Complex domain models define relationships across domains.

Generic Domain


Enumerated

Range


Sub-Set


Domain Meta-Model Calculated Domains

Region State Multiplier

1 MI 1

1 FL 1

2 IL 2

3 CA 2

• Calculated domains derive their contents from one or more enumerated or derived

domains.

• For all states in region 1, the multiplier is 1, otherwise it is a 2.

• Region State Multiplier

Generic Domain


Enumerated

Range


Sub-Set


Domain Meta-Model Valid Combination Domains

State Year Policy Line

IL < 5 1

IL 5 - 7 1

IL 5 – 7 2

IL 7 1

IL 7 2

IL 7 5

MI < 5 2

MI 5 – 7 2

• Valid combination domains define rows of valid metadata combinations. The contents

are composed from one or more enumerated, range or another derived domain.

• From the example above: In Illinois, if you have a clean driving record for less than 5

years then you are eligible for line 1 only. If your record is between 5 and 7 years then

you are eligible for line 1 and 2 and if your record is more than 7 years then you are

eligible for line 1,2 or 5.

Generic Domain


Enumerated

Range


Sub-Set


Domain Meta-Model Sub-Set Domains

• A subset domain is a special case of a derived domain where the contents are a

subset of the values from the original domain.

• In the example on the previous slide, if we need only the items for year range (5-7)

then this would be a subset of the original domain.

Generic Domain


Enumerated

Range


Sub-Set

State Year Policy Line

IL 5 - 7 1

IL 5 – 7 2

MI 5 – 7 2


Questions

Doug Stacey

[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

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