What is Data Architecture ?

Data Architect is highly specialized role.  It is a logical growth from Data Analyst and Database designer. It is usually person who model the Data model for RDBMS.

The basic responsibility of a data analyst of a project was to model the database of system using ER modeling. He would create a entity-reliationship, define entities their attributes and their mapping to the RDBMS. He would use the  normalization, keys, indexing and other data designing activity to create table, views , indexes, stored procedures.

This activity is usually divided into:

- Defining Data Dictionary (entities,attributes)

- Logical Data Model

- Physical Data Model

Other activities would include managing database performance by optimization, tuning, query analyzing, stored procedure etc. He would also be migrating data from one database to other, database replication, and other database related techniques.

Database Architect evolves into more complex and important role. He starts right from

Business & Drivers

- Study the Business and end-user needs to capturing the business requirement

       - Study Business Process flows which would define the Data Flow (Persistent data, type and other attribute etc.)

- Based on various best and chosen design principles define the data requirments

- Define the Data Reference Model (at Data Descrition (The model), Data Context(for discovery) and Data Sharing(exhcange of  data).

Map to Technology

- Map the Data Refernce Model to technology

- Data Description (LDM,PDM)

- Data Context defintion for easy descovery and mapping between interdepartmental data entity maps.

- Data Sharing (XML standards specification)

- Address the NFRs like:

    - Performance (Caches, Tuning, Otimization)

    - Security (Access levels, Data Security at rest, in transit, encryption, compliance like PCI, SOX)

    - Avaialibity (replication, backup, Disaster recovery etc.)

    - Configuration

- Other Best practices (standards)

- Data migration if required, ETL

- Data Back/recovery, Disaster Recovery Proceudre,

- Enterprise Policies for above things.

     - Policy management

- Monitoring and Governance

Besides, creating architecture he could be in advisory roles, participating in  RFP/Deals which have major Data Center Requirement etc.

There is new term in market called Information Architect which looks simlar to Data architect. But Information architect referes more to the Web or Access layer which coverts the data in the enterprise as information to be viewed by the perople.

Similarly, there is Content Architect with ECM coming into picture. ECM, Enterprise Content Management, is about content management. content is being differentiated form data as content is unstrutured content like documents etc.ECM is different field altogether, with softwares like Documentum etc.