Mean The average value of a set of values
Median value The middle value of a set of values when the values are ranked according
to value
Memory The high-speed storage that is available to the computer. Memory is accessed
and processed in terms of electronic speeds
Message The data input by the end user in order to initiate a transaction
Metadata The classic definition of metadata as “data about the data.”
ODS Operational data store—a type of database often used as an interim area for a data
warehouse. Unlike a data warehouse, which contains static data, the contents of the ODS
are updated through the course of business operations
Meteorologic data Data downloaded from a satellite regarding weather patterns on earth
Methodology A prescribed way of executing a process
Microsoft A software vendor primarily of desktop technology
MPP Massively parallel processing—a type of operating system capable of handling
large volumes of data
Multiplex The ability of a system to share memory
Named value processing One of the two primary processing paths for textual ETL.
Named value processing includes standard index processing, in-line contextualization,
and custom variable processing
Narrative Prosaic text
Network The means by which electronic communications occurs between two or more
nodes
Networked DBMS A DBMS whose primary relationship between records is a networked
relationship
NLP Natural language processing—the notion that the context of text can be inferred
Glossary