| Real time data is the information that is distributed | | | | challenges that significantly contributed to |
| immediately after it is collected. There is no or | | | | development and improvements were: |
| negligible time lag in this collection and delivery. | | | | - To continue with detailed analysis and |
| Many organisations today have lot of data | | | | easy-to-use reporting formats of data, better and |
| collected at real time. However, its usability is | | | | improved methods were required. Conventionally, |
| often a backdrop for lack of systems, accuracy, | | | | data warehouses were updated at certain time |
| processing times, and the costs involved in it and | | | | periods (daily, weekly, monthly) and the data was |
| forms a very important operation when getting | | | | then used for reporting. However, certain reports |
| large chunks of data together and interpreting it | | | | needed updates at very short intervals for |
| for further usability. A lot of business decisions | | | | accurate analysis and this eventually widened the |
| depend on this timely and accurate data | | | | scope. |
| availability. Many business operations would be | | | | - Data warehouses were used to store large |
| using data from different sources like application | | | | amounts of information. The increase in volume of |
| modules, database systems, web services, and so | | | | information led to increase in efforts and |
| on. It is important to assimilate all these | | | | resources. Also, the integration of all the needed |
| information and provide integrated real time data | | | | data became inefficient and difficult to handle. |
| for additional execution. These business decisions | | | | - Increase in requirement to identify and respond |
| can provide better service to the customers, or | | | | to business critical incidents as and when they |
| adapt to market dynamics, or even assist in | | | | occur. |
| market research. | | | | - It was important for the organisations to keep a |
| In principle, real time data integration operation | | | | track of all modifications done to the data during |
| involves two crucial aspects: | | | | auditing. Real time data integration helps in |
| - Creating business rules that will define the part | | | | continuously tracing changes to the data. |
| of data which needs to be altered and integrated | | | | - All the transaction data should be in-line with the |
| with other fragments. | | | | business processes and the data flow must be |
| - Defining technical specifications that will actually | | | | done in a real time manner so that organisation |
| handle the task of data extraction and loading. | | | | has access to similar unambiguous data. To |
| The need stirred up because of some | | | | achieve this synchronisation, implementing |
| complexities faced by businesses. Some of these | | | | techniques was essential. |