Data Fabric Architecture: Components, Tooling, and Deployment

Last Updated on: April 28th, 2023, Published on: April 28th, 2023

header image

Share this article

The data fabric is a design concept that serves as an integrated layer (fabric) of data and connecting processes. While the data fabric is a technology-agnostic architecture pattern, it contains several components, such as data ingestion, storage, processing, and more.

Let’s explore the various components of the data fabric architecture and understand how to deploy it.

Table of contents

  1. 10 data fabric architecture components to consider for your organization
  2. What tools can be used to make up the various components of the data fabric architecture?
  3. 11 best practices to follow for a successful deployment of the data fabric architecture
  4. To summarize
  5. Data fabric architecture: Related reads

10 data fabric architecture components to consider for your organization

A data fabric is a composable, flexible and scalable way to maximize the value of data in an organization. The architecture should offer a single virtual layer to manage all data assets and leverage automation to optimize data management.

Here are some key aspects of data fabric architecture that you should consider:

  1. Data ingestion
  2. Data storage
  3. Data processing
  4. Data catalog and metadata management
  5. Data governance and security
  6. Data integration and transformation
  7. Data analytics and visualization
  8. Data orchestration and workflow management
  9. Decoupled architecture
  10. Monitoring and logging

Let’s explore each aspect of the data fabric architecture further.

1. Data ingestion


The data fabric should be able to ingest data from various sources, such as transactional databases, third-party APIs, log files, and streaming data.

So, choose a data fabric architecture that allows for seamless integration and supports a wide range of data formats — structured, semi-structured, and unstructured data.

2. Data storage


A data fabric solution should have a distributed and scalable storage layer, capable of handling large volumes of data.

Consider using cloud-based storage solutions like Amazon S3, Google Cloud Storage, or Azure Blob Storage as they provide high durability, availability, and scalability.

3. Data processing


Data fabric should support both batch and real-time data processing to handle different types of workloads.

Leverage technologies like Apache Spark, Apache Flink, or Apache Beam for processing large volumes of data efficiently.

4. Data catalog and metadata management


A data catalog is essential for discovering, understanding, and managing the metadata associated with the data assets.

Implement a comprehensive data catalog to maintain information about data sources, schema, data lineage, and data quality that make up your data fabric.

Read more → 5 essential features to consider in data catalogs for the data fabric

5. Data governance and security


Ensure data privacy and compliance by implementing robust data governance policies and security measures, such as data masking, encryption, and access control mechanisms.

Having a single virtualization layer to govern your data assets cuts down the complexities in data governance and security.

6. Data integration and transformation


The data fabric should facilitate data integration and transformation processes, like data cleansing, enrichment, and aggregation. You can use tools like Apache NiFi for these tasks.

7. Data analytics and visualization


Enable users to access, analyze, and visualize data through self-service analytics tools, such as Tableau, Power BI, or Looker. Ensure that these tools are integrated with the data fabric to provide a seamless experience.

8. Data orchestration and workflow management


Incorporate data orchestration and workflow management tools like Apache Airflow, Prefect, or Luigi to automate and monitor data pipelines.

9. Decoupled architecture


A data fabric should be modular and decoupled to support flexibility, scalability, and maintainability. Use microservices and containerization technologies like Docker and Kubernetes for better resource management and deployment.

10. Monitoring and logging


Implement robust monitoring and logging mechanisms to track system performance, identify bottlenecks, and ensure data quality.

By considering these aspects of the data fabric architecture, you can build a robust, scalable, and secure data platform that empowers your e-commerce company to continue its rapid growth while maintaining data-driven decision-making capabilities across all teams.

Also read → Can the data fabric future-proof your architecture, unify your data, and save costs?

Now that you know of the various components making up your data fabric, the next step is to find out the right tools for each component.

What tools can be used to make up the various components of the data fabric architecture?

Here is a list of open source and enterprise tools that can be used to compose various components of the data fabric architecture:

Data ingestion


  • Open Source: Apache NiFi, Logstash, Fluentd, Telegraf
  • Enterprise: StreamSets, Confluent Kafka

Data storage


  • Open Source: Apache Hadoop HDFS, MinIO, Ceph, PostgreSQL, Apache Cassandra
  • Enterprise: Amazon S3, Google Cloud Storage, Azure Blob Storage, Snowflake, Databricks Delta Lake

Data processing


  • Open Source: Apache Spark, Apache Flink, Apache Beam, Apache Hadoop MapReduce
  • Enterprise: Google Dataflow, Amazon Kinesis Data Analytics, Azure Stream Analytics, Databricks

Data catalog and metadata management


  • Open Source: Amundsen, DataHub, Apache Atlas
  • Enterprise: Atlan, AWS Glue Data Catalog, Google Cloud Data Catalog

Data governance and security


  • Open Source: Apache Ranger, Apache Knox
  • Enterprise: Okera, Immuta, Privacera, Amazon Macie, Google Cloud Data Loss Prevention

Data integration and transformation


  • Open Source: Apache NiFi, Talend Open Studio, Singer
  • Enterprise: Informatica PowerCenter, Microsoft SQL Server Integration Services, IBM InfoSphere DataStage

Data analytics and visualization


  • Open Source: Apache Superset, Metabase, Redash
  • Enterprise: Tableau, Power BI, Looker, QlikView

Data orchestration and workflow management


  • Open Source: Apache Airflow, Prefect, Luigi
  • Enterprise: Google Cloud Composer, Amazon Managed Workflows for Apache Airflow, Azure Data Factory

Decoupled architecture


  • Open Source: Docker, Kubernetes, Helm, Istio
  • Enterprise: Amazon ECS, Google Kubernetes Engine, Azure Kubernetes Service, Red Hat OpenShift

Monitoring and logging


  • Open Source: Prometheus, Grafana, ELK Stack (Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana), Jaeger, Zipkin
  • Enterprise: Datadog, Splunk, New Relic, Amazon CloudWatch, Google Stackdriver

Each of the tools listed above can be combined to create a comprehensive data fabric architecture that meets your organization’s needs in terms of scalability, flexibility, and maintenance.

11 best practices to follow for a successful deployment of the data fabric architecture

Deploying a data fabric architecture is a complex task that requires careful planning and execution. Here are some key aspects to keep in mind during the deployment process:

  1. Assess existing systems 👉 Understand the current data landscape, including data sources, storage systems, processing engines, and analytics tools. Identify areas of improvement, bottlenecks, and any potential limitations of your current infrastructure.
  2. Define clear objectives and requirements 👉 Collaborate with stakeholders to define the business objectives, performance requirements, and specific use cases that the data fabric architecture should address.
  3. Plan for scalability and flexibility 👉 Choose components and design patterns that can scale horizontally to accommodate the growth of data volume, variety, and velocity. Ensure that the architecture is modular and can evolve over time to incorporate new technologies and changing business needs.
  4. Security and compliance 👉 Incorporate data governance, security, and compliance best practices from the beginning. Consider data encryption, access control, data masking, and auditing to protect sensitive information and comply with relevant regulations.
  5. Data quality and consistency 👉 Implement data quality checks, validation rules, and monitoring mechanisms to ensure data consistency and accuracy across the entire data fabric.
  6. Integration and interoperability 👉 Ensure that the chosen tools and components integrate well with each other and can interoperate with existing systems. This may involve data format conversions, data transformation, and data synchronization.
  7. Resource allocation and cost optimization 👉 Plan for efficient resource allocation, taking into consideration data storage, processing, and transfer costs. Utilize cloud services’ pricing models and autoscaling capabilities to optimize costs.
  8. Deployment strategy 👉 Decide whether to deploy the data fabric architecture on-premises, in a public cloud, or in a hybrid environment. Consider factors such as data gravity, latency, and security when making this decision.
  9. Change management 👉 Introduce the new data fabric architecture in a phased manner, and provide training and support to help users adapt to the new system. Communicate the benefits of the data fabric to stakeholders and demonstrate its impact on business outcomes.
  10. Monitoring, logging, and observability 👉 Implement comprehensive monitoring and logging solutions to track system performance, identify bottlenecks, and troubleshoot issues. Ensure that the system is observable and can provide insights into its internal workings.
  11. Documentation and knowledge sharing 👉 Document the data fabric architecture, including its components, data flow, data lineage, and data catalog. Encourage knowledge sharing and collaboration among the teams involved in building, maintaining, and using the data fabric.

By keeping these factors in mind during the deployment process, you can create a robust, secure, and scalable data fabric architecture that empowers your organization to derive valuable insights from its data assets.

To summarize

We’ve discussed the concept of a data fabric architecture and its key components.

We explored various open-source and enterprise tools that can be used to build different components of the data fabric. These tools enable organizations to create a comprehensive and robust data platform that meets their specific needs.

Lastly, we covered important considerations for deploying a data fabric architecture.

By understanding these concepts and taking these factors into account, you can successfully implement a data fabric architecture that supports data-driven decision-making.

Share this article

Ebook cover - metadata catalog primer

Everything you need to know about modern data catalogs

Adopting a modern data catalog is the first step towards data discovery. In this guide, we explore the evolution of the data management ecosystem, the challenges created by traditional data catalog solutions, and what an ideal, modern-day data catalog should look like. Download now!

[Website env: production]