Master data management (MDM) architecture — perhaps more commonly known as an implementation style — refers to the way an MDM tool like Profisee interacts with other systems across an organization’s technology landscape. Not to be confused with the architecture of the MDM tool itself, master data management architecture in this context represents a broader view and includes multiple large systems, such as ERP, CRM and data lakes/warehouses. 

In general, there are four different architectures, or implementation styles, that an MDM tool follows: 

• Registry: The MDM tool acts as a central reference point for master data definitions and attributes but doesn’t store the actual data itself. This architecture is a scalable, low-risk approach to implementing MDM, but it only allows for updating master data one way and doesn’t offer much control. 

• Consolidated: The MDM tool acts as a central hub, absorbing data from multiple sources and creating a golden record for entities in each data domain used. This architecture typically results in high data quality and improved reporting and analytics but has the potential for disrupting downstream systems and is mostly used for analysis use cases. 

• Coexistence: The MDM tool also acts as a central hub in a coexistence architecture, but while master data resides in the hub, source systems retain operational data and handle transactions. This is a flexible approach that allows for a phased implementation while improving data quality, but it is typically more complex and expensive to pull off. 

• Centralized: The MDM tool acts as a hub and becomes the single source of truth for all master data. Data is then distributed to operational systems. This architecture offers the most control and consistency but is also one of the more expensive options presented here and runs the risk of significantly disrupting the business during implementation. 

Ultimately, the best MDM architecture depends on what you’re hoping to achieve with MDM. Are you looking to execute an analytical or an operational use case? Where should your master data be persisted? Choosing an MDM architecture is a critical step in the early stages of starting an MDM program, so it’s important to do so carefully. 

As a SaaS offering, Profisee is deployed on the Azure Cloud platform where it is natively architected for Azure and runs on 100% native Azure infrastructure (AKS, SQL Elastic Pool, etc.). 

The SaaS offering of Profisee MDM is available as a full turnkey service — Profisee manages the platform software in a multi-tenant infrastructure and uses Kubernetes namespaces and separate databases in the SQL Elastic Pool for tenant isolation. 

A cloud native platform, Profisee is architected to take full advantage of all Azure has to offer, using a combination of availability zones, cross-region replication and cross-region failover to provide customers with a highly available master data management solution. 

Yes, both the SaaS and PaaS offerings of Profisee are available on Azure Marketplace, providing customers with an existing Azure investment a convenient way to make the purchase. For customers with a Microsoft Azure Consumption Commitment (MACC), Profisee is a benefit-eligible offer, counting toward your organization’s commitment and helping you get the most out of your Azure investment.