DataOps: Streamlining Your Data Pipeline for Better Business Outcomes

Data Ops

Introduction

The coordination of people, processes, and technology to quickly deliver reliable, high-quality data to users is known as DataOps (data operations). Data operations aim to increase communication, integration, and automation of data flows between data managers and data consumers throughout an organization.

 

DataOps utilizes technology to automatically create, deploy, and manage data delivery with the required governance levels. It uses metadata to increase the usability and value of data in a dynamic environment.

 

DataOps is a paradigm shift that significantly transforms the core ideas and methods for delivering data and challenges traditional data integration methods. DataOps uses technologies to discover data and detect changes. The focus of data operations is on providing the data values rather than perfecting every underlying component involved in the process. The figure below summarizes why organizations should adopt DataOps.

DataOps-Automation

Figure 1 Simple, automated DataOps features

DataOps Purpose and Responsibilities

In the modern tech world, only a few organizations can manage different aspects of data their business requires entirely by themselves. Data is the oil of the century upon which organizations built their complex logic to run their business. DataOps enables faster delivery of extensive data services and product considering an organization’s dynamic environments, requirements, and infrastructure. 

 

DataOps modifies the dataflows rather than the application’s behaviour. Like an assembly line used to build cars, a DataOps assembly line excels in producing quality data products while increasing speed, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. As data is transmitted through its lifecycle, DataOps makes sure the best practices and controls are in place, including:



  • Continuous integration and data delivery
  • Data observability for data quality and resolution
  • Data/code versioning for auditability 
  • Automated orchestration
  • Reusability 
  • Effective data roles collaboration

Several phases, standards, and best practices are involved in the implementation of data operations. Four key responsible areas involve in implementation processes are:

Dataflow Governance

Data flow governance involves high-level management supervision to monitor data-related operations, establish direction and guidance, and make critical decisions about proposals, opportunities, and threats. Data flow governance includes;



  • Data Security & Privacy Policies 
  • Organizations Data Standards
  • Master Data Management 
  • Metadata collection for data assets

Provide Information to Professionals and Stakeholders

 

The process includes knowledge sharing about data usage functions and processes inside the enterprise with stakeholders. Developing best practice methods and approaches is also part of the process.

Data Strategy Development

Develop a data strategy to support initiatives for digital transformation and digital analytics in the following areas:



  • Identify opportunities for data-driven business models.
  • Monitor market trends related to data strategy capabilities.
  •  Direct the development of new key performance indicators and efforts to improve company performance.

Planning and Design

The planning and design phase involves the following process;



  • Make data security a priority rather than an afterthought. 
  • Enhance tools to support automation and self-service capabilities for data consumers.
  • Ensure that data engineers, operators, and architects are adequately educated on the necessary methods and tools

Figure 2 DataOps purpose and responsibilities

DataOps Pipeline

Data is moved through the DataOps platform using pipelines. DataOps can handle many channels within a project. These many pipelines are employed to carry out different activities, such as hourly, daily, and weekly ingestion tasks or jobs.

 

Data Operations support two main types of pipelines:

  • Batch pipeline or data pipeline
  • Real-time/event pipeline 

DataOps Batch Pipeline

The batch pipeline follows the ETL process in which data is moved from left to right. In the batch pipeline, the data is extracted, loaded, and then transformed to the required format and made available to the end user.

DataOps Event Pipeline 

Real-time (or event) pipeline execution does not result in data movement, testing, or transformation. Instead, the software is developed, tested, and then deployed to a specific environment using the standard DevOps process. When implemented, this pipeline is anticipated to continue operating while waiting for external real-time events to occur that will cause it to take action. An example of an event pipeline is API Gateway.

DataOps: A DevOps for Data?

DataOps is not DevOps for the data; instead, it brings together DevOps teams with data scientists and engineers to provide tools, processes, and skills to enable data-driven organizations. DevOps optimize the software development pipeline by improving the quality and cycle time. It allows enterprises like Microsoft and Amazon to execute millions of code releases annually. While DataOps speed up software development by managing dynamic data operations. Data Operations work together with DevOps to manage an enterprise-critical data operations pipeline.

DataOps Tools

To implement DataOps procedures, there are numerous tools and capabilities available, such as:

Power BI:  Data from many sources can be combined in Power BI to provide dynamic, immersive dashboards and reports that offer valuable insights and promote business outcomes.

Azure Data Lake: Single data storage platform to secure data with threat protection encryption.

Apache NiFi: A system for data processing and data distribution.

Azure Databricks: Azure Databricks support Al’s solution for data operations. 

Microsoft Purview: A data governance solution that helps to govern on-prmises and multicloud data.

Datafold: Data quality software for detecting data quality issues.

Benefits of DataOps

Transitioning to DataOps provides the following advantages to an organization;



  • Reliable real-time data insights
  • Shorten applications’ cycle time
  • Higher data quality
  • Secure and compliant data
  • Lower data cost
  • End-to-end efficient data
  • A single, collaborative data hub

Where DataOps fits

Today’s businesses are incorporating machine learning into a wide range of products and services. DataOps is a strategy designed to meet all of machine learning’s operational requirements.

 

In their book Machine Learning Logistics, Ted Dunning and Ellen Friedman write. “The DataOps approach is not limited to machine learning,” they add. “This organization style is useful for any data-oriented work, making it easier to take advantage of the benefits of building a global data fabric.” The authors also highlight that DataOps work well with microservices architectures. 

 

In today’s big data environment, where speed, quality, and dependability are crucial, DataOps ensures the smooth availability of high-quality data. Data Operations achieve it by reducing data defects and quick data distribution for analytics and reporting. DataOps-enabled companies are aware of the data assets they have access to and have confidence in the accuracy and reliability of the data.

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