Datavæv

Datavæv is a concept used in information technology and data management to describe the interconnected, organism-like network of data across an organization. The term uses the metaphor of tissue to emphasize continuity, context, and the seamless flow of information between systems, applications, and data stores.

Datavæv refers to an integrated data environment that combines data sources through governance, metadata, and interoperable interfaces, enabling discoverability, accessibility, and reliable data for analytics, operations, and decision-making.

Key characteristics include a unified data layer, cataloging and metadata management, data lineage and quality controls, security and privacy by design, semantic consistency across domains, and policy-driven automation.

Architecturally, datavæv often involves elements of a data fabric or data mesh: data integration, virtualization, pipelines, APIs, and storage strategies that span on-premises, cloud, and hybrid environments.

Benefits include faster insight, improved data reuse, stronger governance and compliance, reduced data duplication, and more agile analytics. Challenges include complexity, cost, organizational change, data quality gaps, and maintaining consistent governance across domains.

Implementation considerations start with identifying critical data domains, establishing data contracts and SLAs, adopting metadata-driven tooling, and building federated governance with security by design and privacy controls.

Geographically and linguistically, the term is used in Danish and Nordic IT discourse to describe a holistic data environment, and it is often discussed in relation to data fabric and data mesh. See also: data fabric, data mesh, data governance.