ladaten

Ladaten is a term found in some German-language information technology texts to denote data that has been loaded into a system for processing. The exact meaning can vary by context, but common usage refers to the initial dataset introduced to a software application, a data warehouse, or a database during an ETL or data migration process.

Etymology and scope: The word is a compound of laden (to load) and daten (data). It is not part of a widely standardized terminology, and its interpretation is often defined locally in project documentation.

Usage: In data integration workflows, ladaten usually refers to staging or raw data that has been extracted from source systems and loaded into a staging area or landing zone before transformation. It contrasts with transformed data (after cleansing and integration) and target or production data used by applications.

Variations and notes: Some organizations use ladaten specifically to mean data that is loaded for testing, simulation, or sandboxes, while others apply the term more broadly to any loaded data. Because of its informal status, the term should be defined in project documentation to avoid confusion.

See also: ETL, data staging, raw data, data warehouse, data migration, staging area.