Pillars of a modern data architecture

A modern data architecture is required to break down data silos so that data analytics, descriptive as well as predictive using artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML), can be done with all the data aggregated into a central location. In order to meet all the business needs around deriving value out of the data in a fast and cost-effective manner, the architecture requires certain pillars to be in place, as follows:

• Scalable data lakes
• Purpose-built analytics services
• Unified data access, including seamless data movement
• Unified governance
• Performance and cost-effectiveness

The following diagram illustrates these pillars for you:

Figure 1.6 – Pillars of a modern data architecture on AWS

Let’s explore each of the pillars in more detail.

Scalable data lakes

A data lake is the foundation of a strong modern data platform. Data lakes get pretty big in a short...