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Office of Information Technology
Enterprise Data Management

Services and Data Tools

Popular Services and Tools

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Databases

Learn about and find which database option best meets your needs.
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Reporting Platforms

Learn more about Tableau and our reporting platform options.
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Request Integration

Schedule a meeting with our experts to learn how you can maximize potential.
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Business Data Pipelines

Discover a variety of tools for utilizing your data.
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Data Discovery

Discover what the full potential of your data could be with expert advice.
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Warehouse and Analytics

Learn about properly structuring, storing, and tracking your data.
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Decision Intelligence

As part of BYU's enterprise data architecture, BDPs are the new suite to platforms and services for consuming campus data, including Human Resources (HR), Finance and, Student. To learn about the Business Data Pipelines (why they exist, what impact they will have for developers, etc.), checkout the introduction to BDPs. GitHub is where the people build software. More than 100 million people use GitHub to discover, fork, and contribute to over 330 million projects.

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    Supported Reporting Platforms


    We are currently only supporting Tableau as our primary reporting platform. We only provide the platform and do not compile the data or build reports giving maximum independence and creativity to the user. Tableau is an enterprise-level application used as an all-inclusive reporting tool, ideal for:

    • Complex reporting.
    • Presenting analytic information in a highly customizable fashion.

    Please note that additional reporting platforms will be added soon to expand our capabilities and better serve your needs.

    Creating Value From Your Data


    Data becomes more valuable when accurately measured over time, segmented, aggregated, and calculated. This area includes detailed information on how to create value from your data through:

    • Data Warehousing: Storing and managing large volumes of data efficiently.
    • Reporting: Generating detailed and insightful reports based on your data.
    • Visualization Tools: Utilizing tools like Tableau to present data in an easily understandable and customizable format.

    Benefits of Optimized Database Design


    Data Intelligence seeks to provide reporting and visualization tools you need to obtain the highest quality value from your data. Our services include:

    • Data Segmentation: Breaking down data into meaningful segments for more detailed analysis.
    • Value Aggregation: Combining data points to provide comprehensive insights.
    • Calculations and Metrics: Performing complex calculations to derive actionable metrics from your data.

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    Expert Data Structuring for Growth


    We offer expert services to structure your data for long-term scalable growth, enabling you to:

    • Measure and report purposeful and meaningful data transactions.
    • Make informed decisions based on accurate data.
    • Utilize tools to access and use data for various needs.

    Our platform empowers users to build solutions tailored to their specific requirements using available data, offering flexibility and independence.

    Data Warehousing for Analytical Purposes


    Data is stored in a warehouse for analytical purposes, such as statistics and finding useful information. This ensures that data is beneficial for those accessing it, allowing for detailed analysis and informed decision-making.

    Maximizing Data Potential


    Consider the expertise of our experts and the long-term structure for your projects to avoid limiting the potential benefits of your product. This ensures compliance with current BYU standards and maximizes the effectiveness of your data analytics strategy.

    BYU's Security and Best Practices


    To ensure the security and integrity of your data while using our platform, we adhere to BYU's specific security standards and best practices:

    • Adherence to BYU's Data Classification and Handling Guidelines: Ensuring data is managed according to BYU's policies.
    • Regular Security Audits: Conducting routine assessments to identify and address vulnerabilities.
    • Data Encryption: Encrypting data both at rest and in transit to protect against unauthorized access.
    • Access Controls: Implementing role-based access controls (RBAC) and multi-factor authentication (MFA) to secure access.
    • Data Masking and Anonymization: Protecting sensitive information while allowing necessary access for analysis.

    Purpose of a Data Warehouse


    The purpose of a data warehouse is to collect useful information over time. Our experts consult with users to understand their analytical requirements and help structure the warehouse in the most efficient way to meet those needs.

    Independence and Creativity


    While we provide the platform, we give maximum independence and creativity to the user. We do not compile the data ourselves, allowing users to tailor their data use to their specific needs.

Strategic Data Delivery

We provide BYU’s data sharing platform on which both data producers and data consumers can utilize campus wide data to make strategic decisions. Discover how to best integrate your data between applications so that future changes in technology is seamless to update. As a member of this platform, you can easily discover what data is available for consumers and gain access to that data through a secure and domain managed Business Data Pipeline. Learn more about how you can participate.

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    Purpose of Business Data Pipelines


    BDPs provide both transactional data (records of events) and analytical data (used for analysis and insights). The platform cam cater to various use cases depending on the domain's needs, whether transactional or analytical.

    Understanding Business Data Pipelines at BYU


    Business Data Pipelines (BDP), also known as “data mesh,” are secure channels designed for accessing and consuming BYU’s domain-specific data. Authorized users can request access to these data products through a Data Sharing Agreement (DSA).

    What is a Business Data Pipeline?


    A BDP is a structured pathway that facilitates safe and efficient data sharing and integration across BYU departments. Only authorized users, who have obtained a DSA, can access the BDPs. The authorization process is managed through Alation, a catalog tool that helps users locate any available information within the pipeline.

    Benefits of a Business Data Pipeline


    1. Standardization and Normalization: BDPs ensure that data is consistently formatted and standardized. Users can trace the origin and calculation methods of the data, ensuring its accuracy and reliability.
    2. Abstraction Layer: The pipeline acts as an abstraction layer, which means that data can be seamlessly connected and disconnected without disrupting the system. This abstraction allows for smooth integration and updating of information.
    3. Enhanced Data Governance: Data owners have more control over their data, allowing them to govern, standardize, and manage it effectively.
    4. Efficient Data Access: By meshing information from different sources, BDPs make fragmented data cohesively accessible across multiple organizations, saving valuable time and resources.

    Components of a BDP


    • Domains: Categorized BYU data, each headed by a trustee and managed by stewards. These stewards appoint business experts who collaborate with BYU’s Office of Information Technology (OIT) to meet their data needs.
    • Data Products: These include a product catalog for finding data, usage agreements to set sharing boundaries, usage trackers to monitor data usage, and performance metrics.
    • Templates: Include datasets, interfaces, and pipelines for consistent data handling.
    • Provisioning: Involves version control, updates, and configurations to maintain data integrity.
    • Contracts: Detail usage agreements, terms, and billing policies, with OIT funding the platform for campus-wide use.

  • Request Alation Access Create a DSA

    Discovering Data on BYU's BDP Platform


    Explore the wealth of data available on BYU’s Business Data Pipelines (BDP) platform and learn how it can empower your organization.

    How Data Discovery Works


    Discovering data on the BDP platform involves understanding the DSA process and its implications for data governance. Users initiate requests or investigations through defined procedures, ensuring transparency and compliance.

    Key Roles in Data Discovery


    • Trustee: Oversees categorized data domains.
    • Steward: Manages specific data domains.
    • Business Expert: Acts as a liaison for data needs within departments.

    Data Sharing Agreements (DSA)


    A Data Sharing Agreement (DSA) is a formal contract outlining access to proprietary information on the BDP platform. It specifies what data is accessible, permitted uses, authorized users, and the duration of access. When you’re ready to request BDP data, you’ll need to submit a DSA request.

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    BYU's Data Integration Strategy


    BYU has adopted a data integration strategy with a foundational layer of Business Data Pipelines (BDP) as the source data for application integrations. Utilizing the BDP ensures that changing technology over time does not impact your integration. As a user, technology can be changed in the background without any action required on your part, making future scaling of your work seamless and scalable with future growth.

    Discover Available Data


    Searching Alation (BYU’s Data Catalog) can help you discover what data is available for your integrations. This tool allows you to identify the data sources you need for your specific integration projects.

    Expert Consultation for Data Integration


    Our experts are here to guide you in integrating data according to BYU standards efficiently. If third-party integration is required for data access, we will work with you to find the best solution.

    Implementation with Informatica's IDMC


    We utilize Informatica’s Intelligent Data Management Cloud (IDMC) to implement data integration. This powerful ETL tool (Extract, Transform, Load) extracts data from various sources (such as BDP, databases, or source files), transforms it into the desired format, and loads it into a new data source. This process ensures seamless integration between different data sources.

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    Dremio is a robust data virtualization and analytics platform that provides a unified, governed view of data across multiple systems. Within BYU’s enterprise data management strategy, Dremio supports Data Virtualization by allowing users and analytical tools to query data where it resides without requiring unnecessary copying or movement. Its semantic layer presents source data through consistent, business-friendly definitions, helping BYU improve data access, reduce duplication, preserve authoritative sources, and apply governance and security across enterprise reporting and analytics.

Application Data Management

Unlock the full potential of your data with advanced modeling and architecture strategies designed to enhance current and future data intelligence and delivery. Whether you’re starting from the ground up or seeking to modernize your existing data modeling architecture, we offer the expertise you need. Schedule a consultation today to see how we can help your projects and data needs scale seamlessly.

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    Importance of Proper Schema and Database Design


    Properly structured schemas and database design prevent costly rewrites and ensure you get the analytical data you need. Our experts help you architect the right data models to achieve this.

    Expert Consultation Services


    We offer consultation services where our experts assist in:

    • Modeling, architecting, and designing Entity-Relationship Diagrams (ERD).
    • Creating databases that are optimized for analytics, scalability, and data usage.
    • Proposing designs tailored to your specific needs.

    Benefits of Optimized Database Design


    Databases designed to their optimum potential allow users to:

    • Gain valuable analytics and insights.
    • Scale information appropriately with the amount of data being collected.
    • Utilize data in an unlimited capacity without performance issues.

    Risk Mitigation


    Avoid the risks associated with poorly designed databases, such as:

    • The need to rewrite applications and reports.
    • Inability to access necessary analytical data.
    • Limited data accessibility, which can hinder your operations.

    Our experts will handle the data modeling and propose their designs to you, ensuring that your database architecture meets your needs and avoids these common pitfalls.

    BYU's Security and Best Practices


    To further enhance the security and reliability of your databases, we adhere to BYU's specific security standards and best practices:

    • Adherence to BYU's Data Classification and Handling Guidelines: Ensuring data is categorized and managed according to BYU's policies.
    • Regular Security Audits: Conducting routine assessments to identify and mitigate vulnerabilities.
    • Data Encryption: Encrypting data both at rest and in transit to protect against unauthorized access.
    • Access Controls: Implementing role-based access controls (RBAC) and multi-factor authentication (MFA) to secure database access.
    • Data Masking and Anonymization: Protecting sensitive information while allowing necessary access for analysis.

Data Storage & Management

Learn the best practices for storing and managing database backups that comply with BYU security standards. We assist you in selecting databases that perfectly match your use cases and future data analytics and application needs. A reliable database is only as good as its backup and restore plan. Discover how we can support you by scheduling a consultation today.

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    Expert Assistance for Database Platform Security


    Our experts are here to help you select the most effective database platform for your data needs. We support a variety of platforms, including:

    • Oracle
    • MySQL
    • Microsoft SQL Server
    • PostgreSQL

    Provisioning and Support


    These platforms are provisioned for your use and consumption. We support and maintain the necessary operations to securely and dependably provide reliable data services for our campus customers.

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    Compliance with BYU Security Standards


    Learn the best practices for storing and managing database backups that comply with BYU security standards. Our experts assist you in selecting databases that perfectly match your use cases and future data analytics and application needs

    Importance of Backup and Restore Plans


    A reliable database is only as good as its backup and restore plan. Our department can suggest and implement a secure backup plan tailored to your needs. This ensures that historical information can be discoverable, restored, or have errors corrected as necessary.

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    Industry Standard Security Measures


    We ensure that your databases are safeguarded with industry-standard best practices to maintain security. Our team can implement measures such as:

    • Encryption of data at rest and in transit.
    • Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments.
    • Implementation of multi-factor authentication (MFA) for access.

    Access Security Management


    We maintain robust access security management to protect your data. This includes:

    • Creating and managing user roles and permissions based on the principle of least privilege.
    • Monitoring and logging access to detect and respond to unauthorized attempts.
    • Regularly updating and patching database systems to protect against known vulnerabilities.

    Customized Access Management


    We create customized access management solutions for your specific use cases, ensuring that only authorized users have access to the data they need. This involves:

    • Setting up role-based access controls (RBAC).
    • Implementing data masking and anonymization where appropriate.
    • Providing training and resources to help users understand and comply with security protocols.

    BYU Security Best Practices


    In addition to the above, we follow BYU's specific security standards, which include:

    • Adherence to BYU's data classification and handling guidelines.
    • Regular review and compliance with BYU's information security policies.
    • Collaboration with BYU's IT security team to stay updated on the latest security threats and best practices.
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