datasta

Datasta is a term used in data engineering to describe a hypothetical, interoperable data container format designed to enable data exchange across diverse systems and processing stages. A datasta package typically bundles a data payload with metadata that describes its schema, provenance, and processing history, allowing consumers to validate and interpret the contents without bespoke adapters.

Design goals include self-describing metadata, versioning, lineage, and support for multiple data models (tabular, time-series, hierarchical). The payload may be stored in a compressed binary form or a text encoding, while the metadata is represented in a machine-readable form such as JSON.

Datasta is not a single universal standard; rather, it is a concept used in discussions and some internal toolchains to refer to a standardized interchange package. No single specification has achieved broad industry consensus.

In practice, teams use datasta-like containers to pass data between ETL steps, data stores, and analytics services, enabling easier validation, schema evolution, and audit trails.

Related concepts include data interchange formats, data provenance, and schema versioning.