Data platform integration

Sources, platform and consumers, with the protocol on every connection.

1 data platform integration example

Data platform integration map

Which systems plug into a data platform, which surfaces plug out, and over what protocol.

Hub and spoke: sources on the left, the platform zone in the middle, consumers on the right, and a protocol on every wire. The query engine bar and the object store are the two focal components everything converges on.

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What is a data platform integration diagram?

A data platform integration diagram shows how a central data platform connects to the rest of the organization: source systems on one side, consumers such as BI tools, applications and machine learning on the other, and the protocol used on every connection.

Read it from sources through the platform to consumers. Each line is labeled with how data moves, such as JDBC, REST API, CDC, SFTP or Kafka, and whether it is batch or streaming.

When to use a data platform integration diagram

  • Use it to plan or document integrations during a data platform rollout.
  • Use it to give security and network teams the full list of connections and protocols to approve.
  • If the focus is how data is refined inside the platform, use a medallion architecture diagram.

How to make a good data platform integration diagram

  1. Put sources on the left, the platform in the center and consumers on the right.
  2. Label every connection with its protocol and frequency.
  3. Group sources by domain or system type to keep the diagram readable.
  4. Highlight connections that are planned or at risk, separately from those in production.