The task of determining the metadata of a multidimensional information system corresponds to the description of the parameters of cells that contain information about the facts that are included in the multidimensional data cube. Classification schemes can be used when constructing metadata. The classification scheme corresponds to certain structural component of the observed phenomenon. The cell parameters are presented in the classification scheme in a hierarchical form and are combined in metadata when connecting several classification schemes. To construct a hierarchy of elements of the classification scheme, it is necessary to identify groups of members for which there is a semantic connection with groups of members of other dimensions. Cartesian product can be applied to groups of members. As a result, clusters of members’ combinations will be formed in the metadata. The complete metadata structure can be achieved by combining all clusters. In case of a large amount of aspects of analysis, a multidimensional data cube has specific properties related to sparsity. The use of classification schemes makes it possible to identify parts in the metadata that correspond to individual structural components of the observed phenomenon. If a multidimensional data cube is constructed in the process of automated data collection, the “Data vault” methodology can be used to describe the metadata. This method allows you to reflect the relationships between business objects in the metadata. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.