Data Integration
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teshomeguteta7588Data Integration
Uploaded by
teshomeguteta7588Data Integration
Overview
Data integration is the process of combining data from different sources to provide a unified and
consistent view. It is essential in data warehousing, business intelligence, and real-time data
analytics to make informed decisions. The goal is to provide accurate, timely, and complete data
to users or systems.
Problems in Data Integration
1) Schema Heterogeneity: Different data sources may use different data models or
schemas, making integration complex (e.g., one database uses "Customer_ID" while
another uses "CID").
2)Data Redundancy and Inconsistency: Multiple sources may store the same data in different
formats or with conflicting values.
3)Semantic Conflicts: The same data may have different meanings in different contexts (e.g.,
"price" could be retail or wholesale).
4)Data Quality Issues: Inconsistent, incomplete, or outdated data can reduce the reliability of
the integrated data.
5)Scalability: Integrating data from many sources can become a performance bottleneck as
volume and complexity increase.
6)Security and Privacy: Integrating sensitive data requires careful handling to protect user
privacy and comply with regulations.
Data Integration Scenarios
1) Enterprise Data Warehousing: Collecting data from multiple systems (e.g., sales, HR,
finance) into a central repository for analysis.
2)Customer 360 View: Aggregating customer information across touchpoints (CRM, support
systems, social media) to provide a unified customer profile.
3)Mergers and Acquisitions: Combining IT systems and data of two companies.
4)Cloud Data Integration: Synchronizing data between on-premise and cloud-based systems.
5)IoT Integration: Integrating data from various sensors/devices for analytics and monitoring.
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Modes of Data Integration in Databases
1. Manual Integration (Hand-coded Integration)
Description:
In this mode, developers write custom code or scripts to extract, transform, and merge data from
different sources manually.
It’s often implemented using programming languages like Python, Java, or SQL.
Use Case:
Small-scale integration tasks.
One-time or infrequent data integration efforts.
Advantages:
Complete control over logic and flow.
Tailored to specific requirements.
Limitations:
Time-consuming and labor-intensive.
Difficult to maintain or scale.
High chances of errors and inconsistency.
2. Middleware-Based Integration
Description:
Middleware software acts as a bridge or translator between different databases or
applications.
Examples include Enterprise Service Buses (ESBs) or Message Brokers that facilitate
communication between systems.
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Use Case:
Real-time or near-real-time data exchange between enterprise systems (e.g., ERP, CRM).
Advantages:
Enables real-time integration.
Reduces the complexity of direct connections between systems.
Reusable components.
Limitations:
Complex to set up and manage.
Potential performance bottlenecks.
Requires robust error handling and monitoring.
3. Data Warehousing (ETL-Based Integration)
Description:
Data from multiple sources is Extracted, Transformed, and Loaded (ETL) into a
centralized Data Warehouse.
The warehouse acts as a single source of truth for analysis and reporting.
Use Case:
Business Intelligence (BI) and data analytics platforms.
Historical data analysis.
Advantages:
Centralized and consistent data view.
Supports complex queries and analysis.
Improves data quality through transformation.
Limitations:
Not suitable for real-time data needs (typically batch processing).
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High initial setup and maintenance cost.
Delay in data availability (latency).
4. Virtual Integration (Federated Database)
Description:
Data remains in the source systems.
A virtual layer provides a unified interface for querying across all sources in real time
Commonly implemented using data virtualization tools or federated query engines.
Use Case:
When immediate access to up-to-date data is needed.
When it’s impractical to move large volumes of data.
Advantages:
No need to duplicate or move data.
Provides a real-time integrated view.
Faster deployment.
Limitations:
Performance depends on the source systems.
Complex queries can be slow.
Limited ability to perform deep transformations.
5. Application-Based Integration
Description:
Applications communicate with databases and each other via APIs or web services to
share and synchronize data.
Integration is built into the business application logic.
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Use Case:
SaaS platforms, mobile apps, or microservices needing to work with shared data.
Advantages:
Real-time data exchange.
Scalable in microservices and cloud environments.
Easily integrated with third-party platforms
Limitations:
Tight coupling between systems.
Potential issues with data consistency and error handling.
High complexity when integrating many applications.
Summary Table
Mode Data Movement Real-time? Centralized? Best Use Case
Manual No No Small projects,
Manual
Integration quick fixes
Middleware- Yes Yes No Enterprise
Based system
communication
Data Yes No Yes BI and historical
Warehousing analysis
(ETL)
Virtual No Yes No Real-time queries
Integration without data
move
Application- Yes Yes No API-driven
Based systems and
cloud apps
