Software development and data analytics share many similarities, particularly when it comes to managing large-scale tasks, intricate operations, growing collaboration, and pressing timelines.
Traditionally, software development shifted from a single-hero model to a team-oriented approach. This was primarily to combat the complications arising from constructing oversized, monolithic applications, which often led to rising expenses and compromised quality. The shift steered the industry towards building precise components with small teams in a service-driven architecture.
However, data analytics largely continues to rely on large-scale, centralized data storage managed by singular data engineering teams. Such a system can overburden these teams, causing project delays and compromising data accuracy.
To bridge this gap and incorporate the successful strategies from software engineering, the data mesh concept was introduced. In this article, we’ll dive deep into this architectural approach and discover its advantages.
Deciphering data mesh
At its core, a data mesh is a distributed data management framework that focuses on domain-specific data. Rather than a single, overarching data platform, individual teams govern their specific data sets and the procedures surrounding them.
Within this structure, while teams manage their data, they also supervise the pipelines and systems that modify this data. A core data engineering team still plays a pivotal role, overseeing essential data collections and a range of tools that promote autonomous data management. Teams then share and exchange data through clear, version-controlled contracts.
Challenges of the data monolith
With the cloud technology boom, there’s been a visible shift from massive applications to microservices in software development. Yet, many firms persist with storing their data in oversized, centralized databases, warehouses, or lakes.
Relying on such monolithic data storage creates a cascade of challenges. These monolithic structures necessitate breaking data operations into segments—like ingestion, processing, and distribution—typically managed by one team. Though feasible initially, this system falters as it scales. The result is a slowed pace of feature rollouts.
Moreover, data engineering teams, tasked with handling datasets from various sources, often lack complete context about the data’s underlying business purpose. This lack of insight can result in misjudgments that adversely affect the business. A typical scenario might see a team formatting data differently than expected by another department, leading to reporting errors or even data loss.
Complications with monolithic systems
Monolithic structures seldom have explicit contracts or demarcations, posing the risk of unintended downstream effects from upstream data alterations. Due to this fragility, teams may hesitate to implement necessary changes, causing these systems to become outdated and unwieldy.
Collaboration in such an environment is challenging. With no single individual familiar with the entire data structure, more resources and time are consumed in data-related operations, delaying product or feature launches and potentially affecting profitability.
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