Data management brings significant challenges to organizations, especially on a large scale—and almost all data is large-scale today.
Data mesh offers a solution to the most common data-management challenges organizations face. The data mesh concept consists of four key principles for large-scale data management in a multi-tiered, multi-domain organizational structure:
- Domain-oriented ownership
- Data as product
- Federated computational governance
- A self-service data platform.
These principles lead to a more agile, efficient and scalable data architecture. However, one of the central challenges to implementing data mesh is designing decentralized governance mechanisms that align with its core principles.
This paper examines the potential of distributed ledger technology (DLT) and smart contracts as a mechanism to implement the decentralized governance in data mesh. DLT has proven its value in providing secure, decentralized and tamper-proof data management capabilities. Distributed ledger technology creates a trustless, decentralized governance model that aligns with the principles of data mesh, including domain-centric ownership, secure data sharing and interoperability.
