Reference Architecture for Metadata Management - A Case Study on Data Mining in the Development of Cyber-Physical Systems

In the domain of mechatronic system development, there exists a significant potential for the collection and utilization of vast amounts of operational data. The practical implementation of this potential presents considerable opportunities, although accompanied by substantial challenges. While some companies have already gathered large volumes of data, they are yet not able to utilize its full potential for optimizing technical systems. An essential factor in enabling developers to effectively leverage operational data lies in ensuring accessibility to the data and facilitating intuitive navigation within the database structures. This article examines the prerequisites for a database structure that can be intuitively utilized by developers as end-users. Using the example of a machine tool manufacturer, an architecture for metadatabases is presented, which incorporates user involvement in the architecture development process and is implemented within the research environment of the present research work. A comparative analysis against the pre-existing metadatabase architecture reveals significant enhancements in the usability of metadata for developers.