A must-read article for the data managers among us. From an ITIL perspective, clearly points up why you can't separate metadata management from configuration management. You have to know both what the data is, and the configuration relationships of the assets managing it, in order to meet such legal requirements for assuring customer privacy.
http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=26805652
I continue to be optimistic that centralized data management will make a comeback, with pressures like this building.
-ctb
