Introduction to Data Federation

Sybase Data Federation simplifies provisioning, access, and integration of distributed data—for one group, or across the extended enterprise. Data Federation comprises components in Sybase WorkSpace and in the Data Integration Suite.

You can integrate relational data, XML documents, files, and application data across departments, locations, and companies and allow access to authorized users via a number of protocols and interfaces including transparent file access, ODBC, JDBC and SOAP.

Sybase Data Federation is not a replication solution. It links existing data into a data catalog, where—subject to fine-grained access controls—the data can be accessed from anywhere in the enterprise.

Data Federation is comprised of two components:

WorkSpace Data Federation. WorkSpace DataFederation provides tools for building and deploying data services; defining sources of data to be used in data services; validating and enforcing schemas; and archiving and redeploying grid objects.
The Data Federation component of the Data Integration Suite. Data Federation features in the DI Suite include:
- Servers that support the Data Federation data catalog, run data services, and perform other functions
- A web interface that supports administration, as well as many provisioning and integration tasks
- A command-line interface
- Support for access to the data catalog via SOAP web services, ODBC, and JDBC (for services) and via NFS and CIFS (for files)
- Support for creating data services using your own custom code (including XSLT, Java, and JavaScript)—for data services that use nonrelational data and other specialized applications

The Distributed Data Challenge
Today, companies need data to execute cross-functional or cross-location workflows, accelerate product innovation and development, and analyze business trends to respond swiftly to changing market conditions. Sybase Data Federation gives your organization a single, unified framework—a data grid—that provides a set of reusable services for accessing data across the organization, without regard to what the data is or where it resides.
Data Provisioning and Integration
Sybase Data Federation leaves distributed data in place and provisions it to users and applications across the organization. The Data Federation environment is called a data services layer or data grid.
Access to Data with Data Federation
Sybase Data Federation simplifies data access by providing one unified data layer with a single data catalog.
A Scalable Architecture
A scalable solution can respond quickly to changes in demand and can operate across locations and departments—even across companies.
A Typical Data Federation Deployment
A Sybase Data Federation domain consists of one or more servers that implement the data catalog and provide the data integration framework and its provisioning and access services. A Data Federation deployment consists of one or more domains.

Parent topic: Data Federation