Being an Information Manager...

Data Architecture principles

One of the Data Management principles is about applying proper architectural principles - it is a bit of a meta-principle - and this covers actually a whole category of things. So what is it? It is actually a lot ... Let me try to list a few ideas (it is again a list of 10!):

• Data should be created in one place (a defined master source)
• Data should be distributed via a hub and spoke architecture (so avoid spagghetti)
• When using middleware adopt a single integration architecture (don't stack middleware on top of middleware ...)
• When communicating with external parties adopt XML as a standard - adopt as much as possible one XML dialect only
• Split data capture from data retrieval
• Only store data together when it needs to be managed together (i.e. when you need to see it together you can also do that in the application)Store as much meta data as reasonably possible with the data
• Ensure audit trails are implemented on data
• Split project information from corporate versions of information
• Don't use transaction systems to store your history (archived information). Store this in some sort of data warehouse
• Only retain data when there is a value to retain it - but check this across the data lifecycle!

Labels: architecture, principles

posted by Evert Ruijs @ 7:38 AM