Logical First, Physical Second: A Pragmatic Path to Trusted Data

The podcast explores the critical role of data architecture in data engineering, emphasizing the need for a business-driven, logical foundation to ensure scalability and trust. Jamie Knowles, product director for ER Studio at Idera, shares his experience on how a well-defined data architecture, starting with a semantic model, enables consistency and interoperability across designs and projects. He warns against equating data architecture with physical models alone, which can lead to semantic entropy and ungovernable systems. The discussion highlights the importance of clear ownership and the need for data architects to facilitate business involvement in defining data meanings, especially when leveraging AI tools and ELT patterns.