Migrating from a Centralized Data Warehouse to a Decentralized Data Platform Architecture

Abstract

To an increasing degree, data is a driving force for digitization, and hence also a key asset for numerous companies. In many businesses, various sources of data exist, which are isolated from one another in different domains, across a heterogeneous application landscape. Well-known centralized solution technologies, such as data warehouses and data lakes, exist to integrate data into one system, but they do not always scale well. Therefore, robust and decentralized ways to manage data can provide the companies with better value give companies a competitive edge over a single central repository. In this paper, we address why and when a monolithic data storage should be decentralized for improved scalability, and how to perform the decentralization. The paper is based on industrial experiences and the findings show empirically the potential of a distributed system as well as pinpoint the core pieces that are needed for its central management.