Introducing Data Contracts

In the previous chapter, we looked at the problems we need to solve, and why it requires a new kind of data architecture. In this chapter, we’ll introduce data contracts as our solution. We’ll provide a definition and explore exactly what it is and how it solves those problems.

One of the best analogies for data contracts is that they act as APIs for your data. That sounds simple, but it’s a fundamental change in how we build our data architecture. As we’ll see later in this chapter, by thinking about providing an API for data, you’ll start defining expectations around that API and consider the ownership and responsibilities. People often refer to an API as a contract between the provider and consumer, and it’s that idea that eventually led to me calling them data contracts.

But an API is just one example of an interface, and really, it’s interfaces that are the key to designing and implementing an architecture...