ISO IEC 20546-2019 PDF

Full title and description

ISO/IEC 20546:2019 — Information technology — Big data — Overview and vocabulary. This international standard provides a concise conceptual overview of the field of big data and a harmonized vocabulary (terms and definitions) intended as the terminological foundation for big-data related standards and activities.

Abstract

This document gives a set of terms and definitions to promote improved communication and understanding in the area of big data. It offers a short conceptual overview of big data, its relationship to other technical areas and standards efforts, and clarifies which concepts commonly associated with “big data” are genuinely new versus well‑established. The vocabulary is intended to support interoperability, standards development and clear technical communication.

General information

• Status: Current / Valid.
• Publication date: 28 February 2019.
• Publisher: ISO and IEC (joint publication under ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 42).
• ICS / categories: 01.040.35 (Information technology — Vocabularies) and 35.020 (Information technology — IT in general).
• Edition / version: Edition 1.0 (2019).
• Number of pages: 12 pages.

Scope

ISO/IEC 20546:2019 defines the scope of the term “big data” and related vocabulary, giving standardised definitions for core terms used across big‑data systems, architectures and projects. It addresses conceptual boundaries between big‑data technologies and adjacent areas (for example databases, data management, cloud computing and AI), and provides a common linguistic baseline to be used by standards writers, practitioners and educators. The document is deliberately an overview and vocabulary — it does not prescribe architectures or implementation requirements, but it supports and underpins those activities.

Key topics and requirements

• Standardized definitions for big‑data terminology (e.g., big data, dataset, data lake, data pipeline, analytics).
• Conceptual overview of big‑data characteristics and common descriptors (volume, variety, velocity and variability, plus related quality aspects).
• Clarification of the relationship between big data and other IT domains and standards (databases/SQL, cloud, AI).
• Terminology intended to be reused by other standards in the ISO/IEC big‑data family and by technical committees.
• References and cross‑references to relevant standards and technical reports (document makes cross‑references where appropriate).

Typical use and users

This vocabulary is used as a reference by standards developers (ISO/IEC technical committees and national bodies), enterprise architects, data architects and engineers, researchers, technical writers, educators and policymakers who need consistent definitions for terms in specifications, contracts, guidance documents, training materials and regulatory text. It is especially useful at the start of standards projects, procurement documents, educational curricula and cross‑disciplinary collaboration where precise shared terminology is required.

Related standards

ISO/IEC 20546:2019 is part of the broader ISO/IEC work on big data. Key related publications include the ISO/IEC 20547 series (Big data — Reference architecture and related parts) and other IT vocabularies such as ISO/IEC 2382 (Information technology — Vocabulary) and standards developed by ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 42 (AI). These documents are intended to be mutually consistent and to reference the terminology in 20546 where appropriate.

Keywords

Big data, vocabulary, glossary, terminology, overview, data volume, data variety, data velocity, variability, data management, data architecture, ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 42.

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: ISO/IEC 20546:2019 is an international standard that provides an overview of the field of big data and a harmonized vocabulary of terms and definitions used in big‑data work.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers a conceptual introduction to big data, standardized terms and definitions, and the relationship of big‑data concepts to related IT areas and standards. It does not prescribe architectures or implementation rules; rather, it supplies a common terminology to be used across related documents.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Standards developers, data and enterprise architects, data engineers, researchers, educators, procurement and policy professionals — anyone needing consistent, standards‑level definitions for big‑data vocabulary.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: The document was published on 28 February 2019 and is listed as current/valid by ISO/IEC distribution channels. Users should check national or ISO webstores for any later corrigenda or revisions if up‑to‑date status is critical.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: Yes — it forms the vocabulary/overview piece of the ISO/IEC big‑data work and is associated with the ISO/IEC 20547 series (big‑data reference architecture parts) and other JTC 1/SC 42 outputs. It is intended to be used together with those technical reports and standards.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: Big data, vocabulary, glossary, dataset, data lake, data pipeline, analytics, volume, variety, velocity, variability, interoperability.