* [Topics](/en/topics "Topics")
* [Automation and management](/en/topics/automation "Automation and management")
* What is data management?
What is data management?
========================
Updated  September 15, 2023•*7*-minute read
Copy URL
Jump to section
---------------
OverviewWhy data managementTypes of data managementChallengesBig data managementData lifecycle managementMaster data managementPlatforms and best practicesRed Hat can help
Overview
--------
Data management is the process of gathering, storing, and using data, often facilitated by data management software. It allows you to know what data you have, where it is located, who owns it, who can see it, and how it is accessed. Data management empowers organizations to securely and cost effectively deploy critical systems and applications and engage in strategic decision-making.
Within the broader scope of data management, there's a specialized area known as Enterprise Data Management (EDM). EDM is the process of inventorying and governing a business's data, ensuring that the organization is aligned with this process.
A sound data management strategy determines an organization’s ability to scale and adapt to changing business processes and needs, giving teams the information and confidence to act faster and smarter.
Why does data management matter?
--------------------------------
Data management systems help organizations provide information to the right people at the right time. With the appropriate controls and implementation, data management workflows deliver the analytical insights needed to make better decisions. Data management is a necessary measure to ensure that your business-critical information is secure, accessible, and scalable. Your data management process should:
* Generate and curate data across your infrastructure.
* Store and scale data in the cloud and/or on-premises.
* Establish [high availability](/en/topics/linux/what-is-high-availability).
* Plan for disaster recovery.
* Secure and control access to data, wherever and however possible.
* Audit and destroy data to meet [compliance requirements](/en/topics/management/what-is-compliance-management).
* Inspire the creation of intelligent apps through [data services](/en/topics/data-services).
Data governance is a critical piece of any data management solution. It ensures data accuracy, usability, and security by setting clear guidelines and protocols. Without robust governance, data management can become chaotic and inconsistent. While data management encompasses the creation, curation, and output of an organization’s data, data governance regulates the usage and [security](/en/topics/security) of data in accordance with an organization’s internal standards and policies, as well as any relevant external regulations.
Recommended for you
Revolutionize your IT infrastructure and operations
---------------------------------------------------
[Watch the webinar](https://www.redhat.com/en/events/webinar/rhel-aap-revolutionize?percmp=RHCTG0250000455235)
Types of data management
------------------------
Data management includes many architectural components that organizations need to consider as they address their enterprise data needs. These aspects of data management turn data into a strategic asset.
* [Data storage](/en/topics/data-storage) collects and retains digital information—the bits and bytes behind applications, network protocols, documents, media, address books, user preferences, and more.
* Data preparation gets raw data ready for analysis, fixing errors and consolidating different sources.
* Data catalogs categorize metadata to help users easily find, understand, and use the data that’s important to them.
* Data warehouses store data in a structured model designed for reporting.
* ETLs (Extract, Transform, Load) extract data from a database, transform it into a new format, and load it into a data warehouse.
* Data pipelines automatically transfer and process incoming data from one system to another in real time.
* [Data lakes](/en/topics/data-storage/what-is-a-data-lake) store large and varied sets of unstructured data in its native format, letting you keep an unrefined view of your data.
* Data architecture formally defines how data will be collected, stored, transported, and consumed.
* Data modeling outlines how data moves through a business or application.
* Data mesh decentralizes analytical data to make it more accessible and available across teams and locations.
* Data grids leverage an organization’s computers collectively to complete large tasks.
* Data federation collects data from multiple sources and prepares them to function together.
Database management systems (DBMS)—similar to [business process management](/en/topics/automation/what-is-business-process-management) or [enterprise resource planning (ERP)](/en/topics/linux/what-is-erp) tools— are data-keeping systems used to automate or oversee these types of data management. Data management software, on the other hand, serves as the foundational platform for collecting, analyzing, and integrating vast volumes of data across an organization. It often includes tools developed by the database or third-party vendors, ensuring seamless data operations.
An enterprise data management system is an advanced form of DBMS tailored for large-scale organizations, ensuring data integrity, security, and accessibility across various departments. Relational DBMSs rely on the [SQL](/en/explore/microsoft-sql-server-on-rhel) programming language to structure and connect data, while NoSQL databases are better suited for unstructured data.
Data management challenges
--------------------------
Data is valuable only if it can be protected, processed, and acted upon. Leveraging your data is rewarding but complex. As data fuels enterprises in larger quantities and at faster speeds, there are challenges to prepare for.
* Volume. Your data is flowing in at bigger sizes and different formats, making it easy to lose sight of what you have and where it is.
* [Data integration](/en/topics/integration/what-is-integration) and data synchronization. As data becomes more complex, it becomes harder to consolidate data from different sources efficiently and strategically.
* Silos. Data that is not integrated cannot work together, resulting in untapped value and wasted resources.
* Storing and processing data. IT teams must determine where data should go and how it should be processed in order to have maximum impact.
* Costs. Data processing and storage adds cost whether you manage it on-premise or in the cloud. It’s important to evaluate these costs alongside business goals and the value of your data.
* Compliance. Noncompliance with industry and data privacy standards may result in fines, data security breaches, loss of certification, or other damage to your business.
* Data gravity. Data has the power to draw in applications and services in accordance with its mass. Large datasets and the components they attract become harder to move over time.
Big data management
-------------------
[Big data](/en/topics/big-data) is data that is either too large or too complex for traditional data-processing methods to handle. It often requires advanced data analytics tools. Big data management organizes and administers this data to offer real-time information that you can use to improve your business.
Big data classification and analysis locates critical information quickly from a variety of sources. While it can be difficult to integrate, clean, and govern large datasets, establishing a strong architecture and tactful data strategy can help you scale efficiently, meet business goals and gather quality data analytics. Big data requires a management platform that supports integration and automation.
[Read more about big data](/en/topics/big-data "topic | Understanding big data")
Data lifecycle management
-------------------------
Data lifecycle management (DLM) is the people, especially data management tools and processes that control and govern data throughout its lifetime, from inception to deletion. This includes capturing, storing, sharing, archiving, and destroying data.
Your DLM strategy should keep information secure, accurate, and accessible as well as comply with regulatory requirements like the [General Data Protection Regulation](/en/blog/impact-gdpr-privacy-matters) (GDPR). DLM products often automate this process, separating data into tiers based on governance policies and [migrating data](/en/topics/automation/what-is-it-migration) between tiers accordingly.
[Learn about data services](/en/topics/data-services "topic | understanding data services")
Master data management
----------------------
Master data refers to the critical, shared business information that provides context for transactional data and enables key organizational functions. It provides a foundation for business transactions and allows an organization to compare data consistently across systems. Think customers, products, and locations –– these are some of the entities that compose master data.
Master data management (MDM) software provides the capabilities to centrally manage the accuracy, integrity, and distribution of the core business data across an enterprise. A unified MDM strategy prevents the critical data from becoming separated and siloed across systems. It also prevents errors from compounding by keeping a single source of truth.
MDM systems should provide an overview of an enterprise’s master data across different streams as well as real-time data visualization and security features.
Data management platforms and best practices
--------------------------------------------
Data management platforms perform many key functions of data management such as locating and resolving errors, dividing resources, and optimizing systems for performance –– automating many of these functions to cut costs and increase efficiency. It’s important to keep up with data management best practices when using these platforms.
* **Evaluate the data you have.** It’s important that IT teams, data scientists, and business executives understand the data you’re generating and why it is valuable.
* **Align your data with your business goals.** Don’t keep data you don’t need. Knowing the data that will impact the business keeps your systems streamlined, simplifies maintenance, and helps you locate the data that matters.
* **Optimize your database.** Make sure your database can [scale and perform](https://cloud.redhat.com/blog/simplifying-managed-database-access-on-openshift) as you draw from different data sources. Many databases offer advanced algorithms and machine learning and artificial intelligence capabilities to help you make informed business decisions from your data.
* **Maintain high data quality.** Keep data accurate and up to date with regular quality checks, from routine updates to spelling and formatting fixes.
* **Govern your data and make sure the right people can access it.** Put teams, policies and systems in place to ensure the integrity of your data –– how it’s being used, stored and viewed.
* **Focus on security and compliance.** Train your teams and protect your systems to comply with regulations and keep your business intelligence and data safe.
Red Hat can help
----------------
According to IDC, [Red Hat® Enterprise Linux®](/en/technologies/linux-platforms/enterprise-linux) is a popular choice for customers’ business critical deployments thanks to its stability, security and performance, providing consistency across all footprints in your infrastructure — on-premises, virtualized, in the cloud, and at the edge. With a centralized home for your data management solution, you can remain agile and meet your transformation and innovation goals as they evolve.
Red Hat Enterprise Linux includes a number of popular open source database servers including MariaDB, MySQL, and PostgreSQL.  Multiple versions of these database packages are delivered as Application Streams and updated more frequently than the core operating system packages. This provides greater flexibility to customize Red Hat Enterprise Linux without impacting the underlying stability of the platform or specific deployments.
In addition to open source databases, Red Hat Enterprise Linux has enhanced the performance, manageability, and reliability of commercial database management systems.  For example:
Red Hat Enterprise Linux for SAP® Solutions is designed for business critical workloads. It is the platform that provides SAP customers  with the ability to standardize on Linux and modernize with confidence. Customers easily analyze  and manage their systems with the Red Hat Lightspeed (formerly Red Hat Insights) dashboard for SAP. Our technology provides user efficiencies through market leading capabilities, such as system roles, live kernel patching, and memory protection. Customers can prioritize security by leveraging SELinux and other advanced security features. Red Hat Enterprise Linux is also the only SAP certified high-availability solution for SAP S/4HANA® on Power LE where we deliver applications and services on-prem or in the cloud with an open hybrid platform.
Red Hat Enterprise Linux is [a performance-driven, cost-effective platform for Microsoft SQL Server](/en/technologies/linux-platforms/enterprise-linux/sql-server) that lets you quickly process large volumes of data and meet growing operational and analytical demands. It provides a scalable foundation and a consistent application experience, whether deployed across bare-metal, virtual machine, container, or hybrid cloud environments. Included analytics capabilities identify threats to security, performance, availability, and stability and provide remediation guidance to avoid issues, outages, and unplanned downtime. Red Hat Enterprise Linux is Microsoft’s reference platform for SQL Server on Linux and RHEL 8 delivers record-breaking SQL Server performance.
[Red Hat OpenShift® AI](/en/products/ai/openshift-ai) is an AI platform that provides tools to rapidly develop, train, serve, and monitor models and AI-enabled applications.
Recommended for you
E-book
Why your operating system still matters
---------------------------------------
Read this e-book to discover 8 ways your Linux operating system can support your modern IT and business goals.
[Read the e-book](https://www.redhat.com/en/engage/why-operating-system-matters-ebook?percmp=RHCTG0250000455234)
Recommended for you
Red Hat Certified Specialist in Identity Management exam
--------------------------------------------------------
Tests the knowledge, skills, and ability to create, configure, and manage Red Hat Enterprise Linux authentication services
[View exam](https://www.redhat.com/en/services/training/ex362-red-hat-certified-specialist-identity-management-exam?percmp=RHCTG0250000455236)
Keep reading
------------
### Why choose Red Hat for automation?
Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform includes all the tools needed to share automation across teams and implement enterprise-wide automation.
[Read the article](/en/topics/automation/why-choose-red-hat-for-automation "article | Why choose Red Hat for automation")
### What is an Ansible Playbook?
An Ansible Playbook is a blueprint of automation tasks executed on hosts.
[Read the article](/en/topics/automation/what-is-an-ansible-playbook "article | what is an Ansible playbook")
### Learning Ansible basics
Ansible automates IT processes like provisioning and configuration management. Learn the basics of Ansible with this introduction to key concepts.
[Read the article](/en/topics/automation/learning-ansible-tutorial "article | Learning Ansible basics")
Automation and management resources
-----------------------------------
### Related content
* Case study
  [Powering O2’s next-generation 5G network with Red Hat OpenShift](/en/resources/o2-czech-republic-case-study)
* Overview
  [Manufacturers combine modernization and continuity with Red Hat](/en/resources/anon-manufacturing-overview)
* Blog post
  [Strategic momentum: The new era of Red Hat and HPE Juniper network automation](/en/blog/strategic-momentum-new-era-red-hat-and-hpe-juniper-network-automation)
* Datasheet
  [Automate Google Cloud with Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform](/en/resources/automate-google-cloud-with-ansible-datasheet)
### Related articles
* [What is security automation?](/en/topics/automation/what-is-security-automation)
* [Why choose Red Hat for automation?](/en/topics/automation/why-choose-red-hat-for-automation)
* [What is an Ansible Playbook?](/en/topics/automation/what-is-an-ansible-playbook)
* [What is SOAR?](/en/topics/security/what-is-soar)
* [How to build an IT automation strategy](/en/topics/automation/build-an-automation-strategy)
* [Learning Ansible basics](/en/topics/automation/learning-ansible-tutorial)
* [Ansible vs. Puppet: What you need to know](/en/topics/automation/ansible-vs-puppet)
* [Ansible vs. Salt: What you need to know](/en/topics/automation/ansible-vs-salt)
* [Ansible vs. Chef: What you need to know](/en/topics/automation/ansible-vs-chef)
* [Ansible vs. Terraform](/en/topics/automation/ansible-vs-terraform)
* [What is IT service management (ITSM)?](/en/topics/automation/what-is-it-service-management-itsm)
* [Automating Microsoft Windows with Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform](/en/technologies/management/ansible/automate-microsoft-windows-with-ansible)
* [What is DevOps automation?](/en/topics/automation/what-is-devops-automation)
* [What is Infrastructure as Code (IaC)?](/en/topics/automation/what-is-infrastructure-as-code-iac)
* [Ansible vs. Kubernetes: how they work together](/en/topics/automation/Ansible-vs-Kubernetes)
* [What is a configuration management database (CMDB)?](/en/topics/automation/what-is-a-configuration-management-database-cmdb)
* [What is cloud migration? And how can automation help?](/en/topics/automation/what-is-cloud-migration)
* [What is a software-defined data center (SDDC)?](/en/topics/automation/what-is-a-sddc)
* [What is IT automation?](/en/topics/automation/what-is-it-automation)
* [Why choose Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform as your AI foundation?](/en/topics/automation/automation-and-ai)
* [What is access control?](/en/topics/security/what-is-access-control)
* [What is virtual infrastructure management? And how can automation help?](/en/topics/automation/virtual-infrastructure-management)
* [What is IT migration?](/en/topics/automation/what-is-it-migration)
* [How to automate migrations with Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform](/en/technologies/management/ansible/automate-migrations-with-red-hat-ansible-automation-platform)
* [Why use Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform with Red Hat OpenShift?](/en/technologies/cloud-computing/openshift/ansible-on-openshift)
* [What is CloudOps?](/en/topics/automation/what-is-cloudops)
* [Red Hat Satellite on Red Hat Enterprise Linux](/en/technologies/management/satellite/satellite-for-rhel)
* [What is role-based access control (RBAC)?](/en/topics/security/what-is-role-based-access-control)
* [Which Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform deployment option is right for you?](/en/technologies/management/ansible/ansible-deployment-options)
* [What is an Ansible module—and how does it work?](/en/topics/automation/what-is-an-ansible-module)
* [How to manage and automate applications at the edge](/en/topics/edge-computing/how-to-manage-automate-applications-edge)
* [How to build an automation Center of Excellence](/en/topics/automation/how-to-build-automation-center-of-excellence)
* [What is orchestration?](/en/topics/automation/what-is-orchestration)
* [How to adopt Automation as Code: Extending Infrastructure as Code into Policy as Code](/en/topics/automation/how-to-adopt-automation-as-code)
* [What is a webhook?](/en/topics/automation/what-is-a-webhook)
* [Red Hat Lightspeed data and application security](/en/topics/management/data-application-security)
* [What is an Ansible Role—and how is it used?](/en/topics/automation/what-is-an-ansible-role)
* [Gain security with Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform](/en/technologies/management/ansible/gain-security-with-red-hat-ansible-automation-platform)
* [What is NetOps?](/en/topics/automation/what-is-netops)
* [What is an Ansible Rulebook?](/en/topics/automation/what-is-an-ansible-rulebook)
* [What is configuration management](/en/topics/automation/what-is-configuration-management)
* [What is event-driven automation?](/en/topics/automation/what-is-event-driven-automation)
* [Zero-Touch Provisioning and telco automation with Red Hat](/en/topics/telecommunications/zero-touch-provisioning-and-telco-automation-at-red-hat)
* [What is infrastructure automation?](/en/topics/automation/what-is-infrastructure-automation)
* [What is YAML?](/en/topics/automation/what-is-yaml)
* [What is provisioning?](/en/topics/automation/what-is-provisioning)
* [What is compliance management?](/en/topics/management/what-is-compliance-management)
* [Understanding Ansible, Terraform, Puppet, Chef, and Salt](/en/topics/automation/understanding-ansible-vs-terraform-puppet-chef-and-salt)
* [What is cloud orchestration?](/en/topics/automation/what-is-cloud-orchestration)
* [What is a configuration file?](/en/topics/linux/what-configuration-file)
* [Ansible vs. Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform](/en/technologies/management/ansible/ansible-vs-red-hat-ansible-automation-platform)
* [What is cloud automation?](/en/topics/automation/what-is-cloud-automation)
* [What is network automation?](/en/topics/automation/what-is-network-automation)
* [What are managed IT services?](/en/topics/cloud-computing/what-are-managed-it-services)
* [What is business process management?](/en/topics/automation/what-is-business-process-management)
* [What is patch management (and automation)?](/en/topics/management/what-patch-management-and-automation)
* [What is the Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform automation controller?](/en/technologies/management/ansible/automation-controller-product-feature)
* [What is business process automation?](/en/topics/automation/what-is-business-process-automation)
* [What is IT process automation?](/en/topics/automation/what-is-it-process-automation)
* [What is deployment automation?](/en/topics/automation/what-is-deployment-automation)
* [What is business optimization?](/en/topics/automation/business-optimization)
* [What is Kubernetes cluster management?](/en/topics/containers/what-is-kubernetes-cluster-management)
* [What is SRE?](/en/topics/devops/what-is-sre)
* [What is risk management?](/en/topics/management/what-is-risk-management)
* [What is an SOE?](/en/topics/management/what-is-an-soe)
* [What is IT system life-cycle management?](/en/topics/management/it-system-life-cycle-management)
* [What is robotic process automation (RPA?)](/en/topics/automation/what-is-robotic-process-automation)
* [What is network management?](/en/topics/management/what-is-network-management)
* [What is cloud management?](/en/topics/cloud-computing/what-is-cloud-management)
* [What's business automation?](/en/topics/automation/whats-business-automation)
[More about this topic](/en/topics/automation "More about this topic")