What are Plug-and-Play Data Systems?
Plug-and-Play data systems are compatible data systems that can dynamically data harmonize on-demand to form a single virtual dataset without the need for data movement, data preparation, or data transformations. Direct on-demand data interoperability provides direct, reliable links among compatible data systems that support dynamic plug-and-play functionality.
The Business Perspective
Ever had a problem onboarding a new data system or retiring an outdated data system? The difficulty emanates from disparate data systems bound together with one-of-a-kind hand-crafted links needed to integrate their data. The data systems and their data integration software have been named the Data Integration Hairball because of the complexity of their interdependence. This siloed data architecture is stagnant because of the difficultly and expense of making changes.
Plug-and-play data systems feature standardized data links between compatible modular data systems. These standardized data links do not require nor want data movement, data preparation, or data transformations. Standardized data links are very efficient, cost-effective, and flexible when compared to any Data Integration Hairball.
These compatible modular data systems are components that spontaneously form a single consistent Compatible Data Fabric. Any compatible data systems can easily be added or removed from the Compatible Data Fabric since the direct data links are standardized. Plug-and-play functionality creates a compatible data architecture that is easy to construct and maintain.
The Technical Perspective
Compatible data systems have an outer “shell” of Data Compatibility Standards, standardized master data content that makes all compatible data systems modular. Each Data Compatibility Standard is designed to form standard direct data links with its copies in other compatible data systems. These standard data links are dynamic and form on-demand. As a result, compatible data systems are plug-and-play components in a Compatible Data Fabric. Compatible Data Systems can be added or removed from the Compatible Data Fabric as needed. Interestingly, Compatible Data Fabrics are also plug-and-play. A Compatible Data Fabric can be added or removed on-demand from another Compatible Data Fabric. The plug-and-play features of compatible data systems and Compatible Data Fabrics are critical for business mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures.
Summary
Plug-and-Play data systems are an inherent, next-generation feature of Maxxphase Data Compatibility. It is perhaps the most crucial feature of the next-generation digital data environment because it greatly simplifies the entire data environment while making it far more functional.