A Data Catalog is a structured collection of data used by an organization. It includes metadata such as data source, format, owner, and usage frequency. It serves as an inventory of available data, making it easier for data users to find and understand data. A well-maintained data catalog helps improve data governance, data quality, and data accessibility.

For instance, a data catalog for a retail company might include datasets such as:

• Customer Data: This dataset may include customer demographics, shopping behavior, and purchase history. Metadata might indicate that the data comes from the company's CRM system, is stored in a SQL database, and is updated daily.
• Inventory Data: This dataset might track what products are in stock at each store location. Metadata could show that the data is pulled from the company's inventory management system, is stored in a NoSQL database, and is updated in real-time.
• Sales Data: This dataset may record all sales transactions. Metadata could specify that the data is sourced from the company's point-of-sale system, is stored in a cloud-based data warehouse, and is updated every hour.

Each of these datasets would be listed in the data catalog, along with relevant metadata and potentially other information such as data quality scores, data owner contact information, and a link to access the data.