Data Federation Technology

Why Trust Techopedia

What Does Data Federation Technology Mean?

Data federation technology represents an alternative model for the storage, collection and use of enterprise data. The term refers to software resources that help users create a virtual database through building the acquisition of remote data into middleware that may be used to present data, which is stored throughout a diverse architecture, to users.

Data federation technology is also known as data virtualization technology.

Techopedia Explains Data Federation Technology

Experts define a virtual data federation technology database as a data structure that contains metadata about remote data, rather than the actual data. The traditional alternative is to build a separate and collective on-site data warehouse, but modern vendors have circumvented this by offering data federation technology solutions that serve as a "digital reference resource," where data from multiple locations can be recalled as required. Various names are used to refer to the types of approaches that use data federation technology, including data virtualization, Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) or enterprise information integration (EII). These types of provisions appeal to a variety of businesses in certain fields, like data governance.

Related Terms

Margaret Rouse
Technology Expert
Margaret Rouse
Technology Expert

Margaret is an award-winning technical writer and teacher known for her ability to explain complex technical subjects to a non-technical business audience. Over the past twenty years, her IT definitions have been published by Que in an encyclopedia of technology terms and cited in articles by the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine, and Discovery Magazine. She joined Techopedia in 2011. Margaret's idea of a fun day is helping IT and business professionals learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages.

Advertisements