About the Profiles Schema Manager
You configure profiles to take advantage of the data that you collect about your site. You can gain a significant competitive advantage by creating profile definitions and properties to specify the scope of data collection. A profile definition is a set of characteristics that define any business-related item, such as a user, a company, or a business process. After you create profile definitions and properties, you run reports against the data for analysis, and build insight (or business intelligence) into your electronic retail operations. Data analysis helps you make smarter business decisions, and more effective marketing campaigns.
Use the Profiles Schema Manager to collect, track, and store data from and about customers by creating data sources, profile definitions, and site terms. Create profile definitions and properties to collect customer and business data, such as customer accounts, purchase orders, requisitions, and product properties, from your Microsoft Commerce Server 2009 Web site.
Use data sources as a link to the underlying data server Active Directory directory service, Active Directory and Azman, or SQL Server source. In addition to the profile data that you collect on your Internet shopping Web site(s), you can also import data from other sources to provide a single aggregated view of all your customer and business data.
Create site terms to provide a limited set of choices for customers when they enter personal preferences or other information on your Web site.
Use the Profiles Schema Manager to do the following:
Create data sources, data objects, and data members
Create and validate profile definitions
Export and import profile schema
Create, edit, and delete site terms
Edit and delete profile definitions