Dataflöde

Dataflöde is a concept in information technology that describes how data moves through a system from initial sources to final destinations, including the transformations, routing decisions, and storage steps that occur along the way. The focus is on the path data takes rather than the individual components alone, emphasizing the end-to-end movement and timing of data.

Core elements of a dataflöde include data sources, processing steps, data stores, and data sinks or consumers. Data can travel in batches or as a stream, and may be routed through multiple stages such as validation, enrichment, aggregation, and transformation. Data formats and schemas may evolve across the flow, requiring mechanisms for compatibility and versioning.

Dataflöde is often modeled with dataflow diagrams or pipelines. In modern architectures, data pipelines integrate ETL/ELT processes, message queues, streaming platforms, and storage systems. The goal is to ensure data quality, reliability, and timely delivery while maintaining scalability and fault tolerance.

Data governance and data lineage are closely related to dataflöde. Tracking how data originates and moves through systems supports auditing, quality control, privacy, and compliance. Design choices such as latency requirements, throughput, and error handling influence the structure of the dataflöde.

Applications include data integration between operational systems, data lakes and warehouses, analytics, and reporting. The Swedish term dataflöde is commonly used to refer to these flows in IT literature and industry, mirroring the general concept of data flow in English-speaking contexts.