F
facet taxonomy
SEE taxonomy, facet.
fact
- A verifiably true data point.
- In dimensional modeling, an attribute that can be measured.
Fact Oriented Modeling (FOM)
A data model that is built up from elementary facts. SEE Object Role Model. The term used primarily in Europe, and considered more generic. SEE ALSO elementary fact sentence.
fact table
In dimensional modeling, a central table that contains numerical measures and keys relating facts to dimension tables. Fact tables contain data that describes specific events or transactions (such as bank transactions) or results from mathematical functions applied to the events or transactions (such as the net summary of a day’s transactions against a single account).
fact table, accumulating snapshot
A fact table that contains data from multiple events on one row in order to track progression of steps within a process.
fact table, factless
Alternate form: degenerate fact table
A fact table that contains only events with no other inherent measurements. Some have a count variable set to 1, which allows summing of these events using more optimal aggregation functions. An example is a fact table that records the attendance of a student in a class.
fact table, snapshot
A fact table that contains data showing the state of something at a point in time.
fact table, transaction
A fact table that contains data showing a change of some kind. Common transaction fact tables include data on sales, assignment changes, etc.
factless fact table
SEE fact table, factless.
Fagan inspection
Alternate form: Fagan’s domain key criterion
A structured process named for Michael Fagan that evaluates activities or operations that have entry and exit criteria for compliance with those criteria.
failure rate
The frequency with which errors occur in transactions. SEE ALSO defect rate.
failure transparency
The extent to which errors and recoveries within a distributed system are invisible to users and applications.
failure tree
SEE chart, fault tree.
false negative
An incorrect result, which fails to detect a condition or return a result that is actually present.
false positive
An incorrect result, which detects a condition or returns a result that is not actually present.
fault tree
SEE chart, fault tree.
Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS)
A numeric code that identifies U.S. states, districts, and protectorates with 2 digit codes and counties with 3 digit codes.
federated data warehouse
SEE data warehouse, federated.
federated database
A set of databases that are documented and then interconnected to operate as one database, even when those databases are on different platforms. A person desiring data goes to the federation and gets the data they need without knowing where those data reside. (Brackett 2011)
field
The physical container for values of an attribute.
fifth Normal Form (5NF)
SEE Normal Form, fifth.
file
A collection of information either on paper, or electronically in the form of data fields (or more complex structures) which describe a set of entities possessing some common characteristics or attributes; a collection of zero or more records which may have an arbitrarily complex structure (flat, hierarchical, etc.).
File Allocation Table (FAT)
A table on a disk that catalogs the location and size of files on disk, as well as free and unusable areas.
File Transfer Program/File Transfer Protocol (FTP)
A service that allows you to transfer files to and from other computers. Anyone who has access to FTP can transfer publicly available files to his or her computer.
filter
A saved set of selective criteria specifying a subset of data in a database.
Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB)
A private organization whose mission is to “establish and improve standards of financial accounting and reporting for the guidance and education of the public, including issuers, auditors and users of financial information.” FASB publishes the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).
financial consolidation
The process of combining and aggregating data from different financial systems to create integrated financial analytic views and comprehensive financial statements compliant with accounting and financial reporting standards.
financial integrity
Compliant and reliable financial data, achieved through quality integrated systems and processes, strong internal control, validations to ensure accuracy and conformance with accounting and reporting standards.
firewall
A combination of specialized hardware and software set up to monitor traffic between an internal network and an external network (i.e. the Internet). Its primary purpose if for security and is designed to keep unauthorized outsiders from tampering with or accessing information on a networked computer system.
First In, First Out (FIFO)
A method of posting a transaction in “first-in-first-out” order. In other words, transactions are posted in the same order that the data producer entered them.
first Normal Form (1NF)
SEE Normal Form, first.
first valid date
The first date that an attribute or entity instance is valid.
fishbone diagram
SEE chart, cause-and-effect diagram.
flag
An attribute of a cell in a data set representing qualitative information about the value of that cell, either positive or negative. SEE ALSO indicator.
flat file
A file in which all the attribute fields are atomic, that is, single valued. SEE table. SEE ALSO database, relational.
flat taxonomy
SEE taxonomy, flat.
flatten
Verb. In a hierarchical data structure, to absorb all child records into their parent records (flattening up) or copying a parent record into each of its children (flattening down). In flattening up, each child type must be given a different name in the parent record, so that the parent record becomes a flat file with atomic fields. For example, in a hierarchical structure you may have a nested repeating group called address with a type attribute on each address instance (i.e., home, school, vacation, summer cabin). When flattened, each of the repeating attributes must be named differently, such as home street, summer street, etc. This is a technique to convert a hierarchical structure into a single flat file or relation that can be implemented more easily in a relational DBMS.
floating point
A system for using significant digits and exponents to represent numbers too large or small to display using the existing format or display criteria.
flying bricks chart
SEE chart, waterfall.
folksonomy
A system of classification that originates from collaboration of users to categorize (tag) and organize information; a usage-generated taxonomy.
force field diagram
SEE chart, force field diagram.
Foreign Key (FK)
SEE key, foreign.
fork
A graphical symbol used to represent manyness in the multiplicity characteristic of a relationship, preferred because it visually and intuitively communicates manyness. First proposed by Gordon Everest in a 1976 paper. Also called inverted arrow, chicken feet, crow's foot, or trident.
format
- The specifications for layout or display of information, such as in a document or on a disk.
- Verb. To apply display or configuration specifications to a document or data set.
- DCMI element in element set Instantiation: physical characteristics of a resource. SEE ALSO Dublin Core Metadata Initiative.
formula
Alternate form: formulae
A set of rules or instructions that, when applied to a specific input, will provide an expected output.
forward engineering
The process of generating physical structures from concepts and logical descriptions. SEE ALSO reverse engineering.
Fourth Generation Language (4GL)
A high-level language for manipulating a database, characterized by operations on sets of instances, that is, multiple records at a time. Contrast with low-level, one-record-at-a-time languages such as COBOL and Fortran, which are 3GL.
fourth Normal Form (4NF)
SEE normal form, fourth.
framework
- Generally, a basic skeletal structure.
- Conceptually, a classification scheme used to better understand a topic; a defined and documented paradigm, used as a lens to view a complex problem.
- In software development, a reusable object-oriented design, including a library of reusable classes and other components, along with standards for designing additional components and how they interact.
fraud detection
The process of detecting patterns, trends, or correlations in consumer or corporate behavior that might indicate that fraudulent activity is taking place; e.g., identifying potential or existing fraud through analysis and comparison of standard and aberrant behaviors. SEE ALSO data mining.
frequency distribution
A tabulation of values output from a function given a set of inputs.
Frequently-Asked Questions (FAQ)
A list of questions and answers that are commonly seen regarding a topic.
Friend of a Friend (FOAF)
FOAF is describes social networks - people including activities and relationships between them. FOAF is a descriptive vocabulary using the RDF and the OWL. Computers use these FOAF profiles to find, for example, all people living in Illinois, or to list people both you and a friend of yours have in common, by defining relationships between people. Each profile has a unique identifier used to define relationships.
full duplex
Adjective. Describes a system that allows communication between two endpoints simultaneously. SEE ALSO half duplex; simplex.
full join
SEE join, outer.
full table space scan
The process of searching a table space or storage file rather than using the actual table structure.
function
- Generally, the acts, operations, and duties expected of a person or thing.
- In process design, a high-level process consisting of a group of closely related lower-level activities that together contribute to the overall purpose and health of an organization or person.
- In mathematics, a transformation that operates on one or more independent variables, and produces a value for the dependent variable. Generally written as D=Fn(I). SEE ALSO dependency, functional.
function point
A unit of measurement expressing business functionality provided to a user by an information system, calculated using data from past projects.
functional data warehouse
SEE data warehouse, functional.
functional decomposition
SEE chart, functional decomposition.
functional dependency
Alternate form: functional dependence
functional requirement
funnel chart
SEE chart, funnel.
fuzzy matching
A technique of decomposing words into component parts and comparing the parts to find an acceptable level of correspondence.