ODS

Operational Data Store (ODS) is a database designed to integrate and provide access to current operational data from multiple source systems. It supports day-to-day operations and short-term decision making by offering a consolidated view of current data for operational reporting and lightweight analytics. Unlike a data warehouse, an ODS typically emphasizes timeliness and current values over long-term history, though some implementations retain limited history.

Key characteristics include:

- Data integration from diverse sources such as ERP, CRM, human resources, and external feeds.

- A focus on current or near-current data to support operational queries and applications.

- Regular or real-time updates using ETL/ELT processes and sometimes change data capture.

- A flexible or normalized schema to accommodate a wide range of operational queries.

- Serves as a single access point for applications and reporting tools and often as a staging area for data warehousing.

Use cases commonly involve operational reporting, customer service dashboards, order and inventory monitoring, and other day-to-day activities where timely data is critical. An ODS can also act as a staging area to cleanse and harmonize data before loading it into a data warehouse or data lake for more extensive historical analysis.

In contrast to a data warehouse, which emphasizes historical analysis, the ODS prioritizes timeliness and operational efficiency. Architecture typically includes source systems, a staging area, the ODS layer, an access layer for users and applications, and optional downstream data marts or warehouses for analytics. Key considerations include data governance, data quality, latency, scalability, security, and retention policies.