feederlayer

Feederlayer is a software architectural layer that aggregates data from multiple external and internal sources and exposes a stable, uniform interface to upper layers of an application. It acts as an intermediary between data sources such as databases, APIs, message queues, and file systems and the domain or processing layers, shielding them from source-specific formats and protocols.

Core responsibilities include building source adapters, orchestrating data ingestion, performing data validation, normalization and schema mapping, and applying lightweight enrichment. A feeder layer may implement change data capture, deduplication, and basic transformation. It routes data to downstream components via synchronous APIs or asynchronous messaging, and it typically handles concerns like retries, error handling, and observability.

Placement and design vary. In some architectures, the feeder layer sits as a dedicated microservice or library that converts heterogeneous inputs into a common data model consumed by services or a data processing pipeline. It can support batch ingestion, streaming ingestion, or both, using queues, event streams, or REST endpoints. It may cache or debounce data to improve reliability and performance.

Benefits include decoupling of data sources from business logic, easier testing and replacement of sources, centralized data governance, and improved resilience and scalability. Challenges include added latency, potential duplication of logic across layers, increased maintenance burden, and the need for robust versioning and monitoring of source schemas.

Common patterns include adapter-based connectors, a canonical data model, and a service-oriented or event-driven interface that feeds downstream services or data stores. Feeder layer is related to data integration, ETL/ELT processes, data gateways, and the broader data pipeline.