What is Data Fabric? Architecture, Benefits & Comparison with Data Mesh

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A professional-level summary covering key definitions, frameworks, and exam-relevant points.

Data Fabric Key Capabilities

Capability	Description	Business Value
Active metadata	Metadata used to automate data management	Reduced manual effort; faster data discovery
Knowledge graph	Semantic representation of data relationships	Intelligent lineage; impact analysis
Data virtualisation	Unified data access without movement	Reduced data duplication; real-time access
AI/ML automation	Automated pipeline creation; quality monitoring	Faster time-to-insight; reduced engineering effort
Federated governance	Governance policies applied across all sources	Consistent compliance; reduced governance overhead

CDMP Exam Relevance

Data fabric is an emerging topic in the CDMP exam, primarily tested in the Data Architecture knowledge area (6%) and Big Data & Data Science (6%). Key exam topics include: the definition and key components of data fabric, the role of active metadata and AI in data fabric, the difference between data fabric and data mesh, and the governance benefits of a data fabric approach. As with data mesh, CDMP questions focus on conceptual understanding rather than implementation details.

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