Denodo Platform Architecture

| More

Denodo Data Services Platform is a middleware that allows seamless, real-time data access, data federation and virtual data integration of heterogeneous and distributed data sources regardless of their format and communication protocol. Based on a flexible and lightweight architecture, the Denodo Platform is composed of three main layers:

  • Connect: Specialized engines read/write to different data types regardless of the data structure. The extracted data is automatically structured into "base views".
  • Combine: This powerful layer federates, transforms, normalizes, cleanses and relates data using common metadata, semantic tools and visual query builder to create composite data views.
  • Consume: The composite data views are ready for consumption by business applications, enterprise middleware or directly by users.
Denodo Architecture
Click to enlarge

The Connect Layer

The Connect layer accesses the information stored in the various repositories and decouples the heterogeneities of the underlying communication protocol and formats from the upper layers. In order to do this, the Denodo Platform uses specialized "wrappers" (also known as connectors) to access a specific data repository or application in order to retrieves its schema along with the related data for subsequent processing. These wrappers are configurable by using a visual editor that is part of the Denodo Platform.

The library of wrappers supported by Denodo includes structured, semi-structured and unstructured data sources: those allowing direct access to JDBC and ODBC compliant relational databases, MDX data warehouses, Web Services (both SOAP-based and REST-based), XML, Delimited Files, PDF, MS Word, Web data and data, Cloud data and SaaS applications (like Google Docs, Salesforce, NetSuite, Facebook, ...), and unstructured content from both local and remote sites - including file systems and e-mail servers (like MS Exchange, GMail, ...). In situations requiring combination of some of these with proprietary sources, Denodo provides a Software Development Kit for rapid development and deployment of any new wrappers.

Denodo Platform interacts with the data source in a bidirectional way, understanding the reading and writing capabilities offered by the source in order to implement the desired CRUD (create-read-update-delete) functions for retrieving data or for writing back to the data source (e.g. by offering XA-compliant transaction management). This layer also embeds all the complexity of managing the input/output operations with the data source.

The Combine Layer

The Combine layer offers transformation and federation capabilities and logical operators for the seamless creation of semantic relationships and data combinations on top of data views delivered by the Connect layer. This layer makes use of the abstraction created by the Connect layer in order to manage all data as a virtual unified schema or single view, regardless of where the data comes from. The Denodo Platform uses extended relational algebra for data combinations and transformations. This data federation also work with retrieved views that include hierarchical structures such as those found in XML documents, Web Service operations etc.

The Combine layer is also responsible for all performance, security and query optimization management, such as LDAP authentication, cache and swapping, high availability, systems management, etc.

The Consume Layer

The Consume layer facilitates the creation of a single point of interface and interaction with the underlying data sources providing reusable SOA virtualized data services layers for your applications and processes in standard formats such as JDBC or ODBC. Federated data can be also consumed exporting the virtual data views as Web Services, Java Portlets, Microsoft Web Parts, OpenAjax widgets or through a Java API for developing new applications. The unified exposure of all data views leads to faster application development and greater security and reliability. In addition, organizations can leverage Denodo's "reusable virtualized data services" to build or enhance their service-oriented information infrastructure.

space