Understand the relationship between the Data and Information Inventory and the Applications Inventory - Data and Information Inventory and Attributes

Understand the relationship between the Data and Information Inventory and the Applications Inventory

(Chapter 31 of Data and Information Inventory and Attributes)

Executive Summary: Chapter Overview

IF4IT

The Bottom Line

This chapter explains how the Data and Information Inventory connects to the Applications Inventory through system-of-record, ownership, production, consumption, and dependency relationships. It shows how governed data type records help application portfolio teams understand which applications own critical content and what must be considered during rationalization or modernization.

Core Concepts

Concept	Definition & Strategic Role
System of Record	The system of record is the authoritative application for a Data and Information type. Identifying it supports ownership clarity, rationalization planning, and source-of-truth governance.
Application Dependency	Application dependency shows which applications produce, consume, or process a data type. This helps portfolio teams assess impact before changing or retiring applications.
Authoritative Source Map	The authoritative source map links each governed data type to its accountable application context. It helps eliminate conflicting sources and unmanaged duplicate data stores.

Quick Q&A

Question: How does the Applications Inventory use Data and Information records?

Answer: It uses them to identify which applications are authoritative sources, consumers, or processors of governed data types. That linkage allows application rationalization and modernization decisions to account for data ownership, migration obligations, sensitivity, and downstream dependencies.

Applications are the primary organizational systems that own, produce, and consume Data and Information types. The Applications Inventory is authoritative for Application records; the Data and Information Inventory is authoritative for data type definitions. The connecting relationship is the system-of-record designation: every Data and Information type has at most one Application that is its Authoritative Application — derived from the Authoritative Source attribute. The Applications Inventory and Attributes is published and available.

When this relationship is well-governed, APM can answer: which applications are systems of record for high-sensitivity data types? Which applications that are rationalization candidates own data types with no alternative authoritative source? What is the data migration scope of retiring any given application? These questions are impossible to answer without the connection between the Applications Inventory and the Data and Information Inventory.

The relationship is bidirectional: the Applications Inventory carries attributes referencing data types for which each application is authoritative or a primary consumer. The Data and Information Inventory carries the Authoritative Application relationship attribute pointing back to the Application record. Together, these two inventories produce the enterprise’s system-of-record map.

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