Software Engineering Institute

Data architecture defines how data is stored, managed, and used in a system. It establishes common guidelines for data operations that make it possible to predict, model, gauge, and control the flow of data in the system. This is even more important when system components are developed by or acquired from different contractors or vendors. This report describes a sample data architecture in terms of a collection of generic architectural patterns that both define and constrain how data is managed in a system that uses the Java2 Enterprise Edition (J2EE) platform and the Open Applications Group Integration Specification (OAGIS). Each of these data architectural patterns illustrates a common data operation and how it is implemented in a system.