Data Federation
Data Federation is a data integration approach that provides a unified, virtual view of data from multiple disparate sources without physically moving or copying the data. It uses a middleware layer to query and access data in real-time from various databases, applications, or systems, presenting it as if it were stored in a single location. This enables organizations to access and analyze distributed data seamlessly while maintaining data governance and reducing storage costs.
Developers should learn Data Federation when building applications that require real-time access to data from multiple sources, such as in enterprise data integration, business intelligence dashboards, or microservices architectures. It is particularly useful in scenarios where data cannot be easily consolidated due to regulatory constraints, performance issues, or the need to avoid data duplication, allowing for agile data management and improved decision-making.