Ten spreadsheets, no plan
A club grows. Each team keeps its own sheets. Names are spelt five ways. Nobody knows which list is right or who may see it.
A plan for how data is stored, named, shared and protected would have stopped this. That plan is called data architecture.
Key words
| Word | What it means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Data architecture | The plan, rules and policies for how data is held, named, moved and protected. | One agreed member list |
| Framework | A structure that guides how things are built and run. | A plan for all systems |
| Policy | A written rule an organisation agrees to follow. | Dates are year-month-day |
| Information system | People, software and data that store and use information. | A booking system |
| Data pipeline | The path data takes from its source to where it is used. | Till to report |
| Asset | Something of value that an organisation owns. | The member list |
| Secured | Protected by controls so only the right people can reach it. | Locked with a login |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
By the end of this lesson
Note
I can say what data architecture is for and explain its five principles.
Starter: what you already know
Have a go
Starter: what you already know
3 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.
The purpose in two parts
Data architecture does two jobs.
First, it is a framework that guides how information systems and data storage are built and run.
Second, it is a set of rules and policies. They define and explain each type of data, so everyone reads it the same way.
Five principles
| Principle | In plain words |
|---|---|
| Access | Data is available for the jobs people need it for |
| Definition | Data is valued as an asset |
| Managed | Data is kept so the pipeline is easy to look after and understand |
| Secured | The right controls are on it and only the right people use it |
| Shared | It can be shared between groups without risk or leaking sensitive data |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
A common mistake
Warning
Many people think data architecture is only about computers and storage. It is also about rules: names, meanings and who may do what. A perfect server with no rules still gives a mess.