MDM Paradigms and Architectures

It is useful to understand the ways that application architectures adapt to master data, to assess the specific application's requirements, and to characterize the usage paradigms. This drives the determination of the operational service level requirements for data availability and synchronization that dictates the specifics of the underlying architecture. This chapter examines typical master data management usage scenarios as well as the conceptual architectural paradigms. Following this, the chapter deals with the variable aspects of the architectural paradigms in the context of the usage scenarios and enumerates the criteria that can be used to determine the architectural framework that best suits the business needs. Understanding how master data are expected to be used by either human or automated business clients in the environment is the first step in determining an architecture, especially when those uses are evaluated in relation to structure. While there are some archetypical design styles ranging from a loosely coupled, thin registry, to a tightly coupled, thick hub, these deployments reflect a spectrum of designs and deployments providing some degree of flexibility over time. Fortunately, a reasonable approach to master data management design will allow for adjustments to be made to the system as more business applications are integrated with the master data environment.