What is Data Virtualization?

Data Virtualization is the new data layer for business users and data professionals to get the data they need to improve their business and increase the outcome of their enterprise data.

There are two major Data Virtualization software providers in the market: Denodo and Data Virtuality

Here is a definition for Data Virtualization from Denodo:

Data virtualization is a logical data layer that integrates all enterprise data siloed across the disparate systems, manages the unified data for centralized security and governance, and delivers it to business users in real time

In fact, data virtualization platforms are claimed to be logical data warehouses where data is not stored on the platform itself but any data from any data source can be accessed via this logical data warehouse platform.

Following image actually bring an architecture to readers minds for how data professionals will benefit from Data Virtualization layer.

a brief look to Data Virtualization platform

Data consumers can access to data virtualization abstract layer from any front-end tool or software using standard ODBC/JDBC connections or even using API calls. At the same time, the data consumers can access to any underlying data source like relational databases or text files, web services, semi-structured data using a standard SQL statements in a single SQL query.

I collected some notes on Data Virtualization platforms and data architects can also refer to official web sites of Denodo and Data Virtuality for further details.