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Microsoft Purview for Data Governance in Azure provides a unified data governance solution to help manage and govern your on-premises, multi-cloud, and software-as-a-service (SaaS) data.
What are the benefits of Data Governance in Azure?
As organizations grow along their data maturity curve, they begin to realize the importance of clean, quality data. Industry best practices dictate the use of Data Governance, which positions organizations to align the business around data as a trusted asset.
Having Data Governance in Azure allows organizations to manage their data. They know where the data lives, how it moves through the ecosystem, and can directly impact the increase in sales, reduction of costs, and streamlined processes.
Security can use Data Governance to identify where sensitive data lives, see who has access, ensure employees only have access to the data required to perform job functions, as well as to help prevent data breaches.
This shift may require the formation of new roles and responsibilities. It may require formal Data Governance Boards that make key decisions about how data is treated throughout the ecosystem. Some organizations matrix the directors, supplying a leader from each domain. Data Stewardship is another role assigned to a business unit that manages the relationship between business and technology. They have knowledge of the domain and ensure data quality.
Microsoft Purview Data Catalog
- Unified Data Map:
- Purview automates data discovery, creating a comprehensive map of your data landscape.
- This includes details about data sources, relationships, and lineage.
- With this holistic view, maintaining an accurate data dictionary becomes easier.
- Data Discovery and Classification:
- Purview automatically discovers data across various platforms (on-premises, multicloud, SaaS).
- It classifies data based on sensitivity and business relevance.
- This classification enriches your data dictionary, making it more informative for data consumers.
- Searchable Metadata:
- Purview’s data catalog allows users to search for relevant data using business and technical terms.
- When creating a data dictionary, leverage this search functionality to link metadata (descriptions, data types, usage guidelines) to specific data assets.
- Data Lineage Visualization: Understanding data lineage is crucial for an accurate data dictionary.
- Purview provides visual representations of data lineage, illustrating how data flows from source to destination.
- Incorporate these lineage diagrams into your data dictionary.
- Collaboration and Documentation
- Purview fosters collaboration among data stewards, owners, and consumers.
- Document data definitions, business rules, and usage guidelines directly within the catalog.
- This collaborative approach ensures an up-to-date and relevant data dictionary.
- Compliance and Governance:
- Purview enforces policies, manages access controls, and monitors data usage.
- When populating your data dictionary, include information related to compliance requirements, data access permissions, and security measures.
Microsoft Purview Data Estate Insights
Data Estate Insights provides valuable benefits for governance stakeholders, especially those focused on data management, compliance, and data use:
- Actionable Insights:
- The Data Estate Insights application automatically extracts governance gaps from the organization’s data estate as it scans and populates the Microsoft Purview Data Map.
- These gaps are highlighted in top metrics, allowing stakeholders to take appropriate action to address them.
- Health Dashboards:
- Data governance: quality-focused users (such as Chief Data Officers and data stewards) can start with health dashboards.
- These dashboards provide insights into the current health status of the data estate and the return on investment from the catalog.
- Stakeholders can address outstanding issues related to data stewardship and governance readiness.
- Data Stewardship Dashboard:
- Highlights key performance indicators (KPIs) that governance stakeholders need to focus on.
- Metrics include asset curation rates, data ownership rates, and classification rates.
- Trended over time to monitor progress.
- Catalog Adoption Dashboard:
- Provides insights into catalog usage.
- Tracks active users, searches, viewed assets, and top searched keywords.
- Helps understand the impact of the data catalog on data usage and discoverability.
- Inventory and Ownership:
- Summarizes data estate inventory for data quality and management-focused users (e.g., data stewards and curators).
- Includes information on data ownership, classification, and overall data health.
Microsoft Purview Data Map
The Microsoft Purview Data Map provides several benefits for effective data governance and management:
- Unified Data Governance Solution:
- Microsoft Purview offers a unified data governance solution that spans on-premises, multicloud, and SaaS data.
- With the Data Map, you can create a holistic, up-to-date map of your entire data landscape.
- It automates data discovery, sensitive data classification, and end-to-end data lineage, making it easier to manage and govern your data assets.
- Holistic View of Data Assets and Relationships:
- The Data Map establishes the foundation for data discovery.
- It integrates metadata and descriptions from discovered data assets into a comprehensive map.
- You gain insights into the relationships between different data assets, helping you understand how data flows across your organization.
- Sensitive Data Management:
- By automatically scanning and classifying data, the Data Map helps manage sensitive information.
- You can consistently label sensitive data across SQL Server, Azure, Microsoft 365, and Power BI.
- This visibility enables effective data governance and compliance efforts.
- In-Place Data Sharing:
- Microsoft Purview Data Sharing (in preview) allows you to share data within or between organizations without duplication.
- Access shared data in near real-time and centrally manage data sharing.
- Support for Azure Data Lake Storage (ADLS Gen2) and Blob Storage simplifies data sharing.
Microsoft Purview – Data Policy
Microsoft Purview provides several benefits for effective data governance and management through its Data Policy feature:
- Unified Data Governance Solution:
- Microsoft Purview offers a unified data governance solution that spans on-premises, multicloud, and software as a service (SaaS) data.
- With the Data Map, you can create a holistic, up-to-date map of your entire data landscape.
- It automates data discovery, sensitive data classification, and end-to-end data lineage, making it easier to manage and govern your data assets.
- Holistic View of Data Assets and Relationships:
- The Data Map establishes the foundation for data discovery.
- It integrates metadata and descriptions from discovered data assets into a comprehensive map.
- You gain insights into the relationships between different data assets, helping you understand how data flows across your organization.
- Sensitive Data Management:
- By automatically scanning and classifying data, the Data Map helps manage sensitive information.
- You can consistently label sensitive data across SQL Server, Azure, Microsoft 365, and Power BI.
- This visibility enables effective data governance and compliance efforts.
- In-Place Data Sharing:
- Microsoft Purview Data Sharing (in preview) allows you to share data within or between organizations without duplication.
- Access shared data in near real-time and centrally manage data sharing.
- Support for Azure Data Lake Storage (ADLS Gen2) and Blob Storage simplifies data sharing.
Microsoft Purview – Data Sharing
Microsoft Purview Data Sharing provides several benefits for efficient and secure data sharing:
- Collaboration with External Partners:
- Organizations can collaborate with external business partners while maintaining data security within their own environment.
- Data providers can share data directly with partners without data duplication, streamlining collaboration efforts.
- Outsourcing Data Transformation and Processing:
- Businesses can outsource data transformation and processing to third-party ISVs or data aggregators.
- By sharing raw data, organizations receive normalized data and analytics results back, reducing the need for redundant data copies.
- Cost Savings and Resource Efficiency:
- In-place data sharing eliminates the need for data copy and refresh pipelines.
- It reduces costs associated with data storage and movement, as well as data proliferation (multiple copies of data).
- Near real-time access to shared data ensures timely decision-making.
- Control Over Data Access:
- Data providers can control who has access to their data.
- Secure sharing relationships allow data consumers read-only access to shared data through their own storage accounts.
- Data providers can revoke access or set share expiration times as needed.
Get started with Microsoft Purview with experts at your side.
As the world generates massive amounts of new data, organizations are realizing the need for organized data within their estate to drive sales, reduce costs, and streamline processes. Data is now an asset. Decisions are data-driven. Having a well-organized, cloud-based data dictionary, classifying your data, assigning Glossary Terms, viewing Data Lineages, and applying Policies are all foundational components of Data Governance.
As a trusted Microsoft Solutions Partner, Quisitive partners with clients like you along your data journey. We can help you get started with Microsoft Purview for Data Governance, a proof-of-concept, and even build out an Enterprise solution.
