Microsoft Purview’s reimagined data governance experience

When conversing with Chief Data Officers, it is evident that Data Governance continues to be a principal concern. This stems from the increased complexity of data governance. Modern architectures are increasingly federated, resulting in a dispersed integration of data and promotion of data products across various teams. Moreover, the critical nature of data quality is an aspect that cannot be emphasized enough. To top it off, the growing spread of data and AI services has underlined the demand for robust insights even more.

In this particular blogpost, we’ll focus on the reimagined data governance experience provided by Microsoft Purview. Microsoft Purview is a comprehensive set of solutions that can help organizations to govern, protect, and manage data, across multiple environments. The revamped version of this platform was made available for preview on April 8, 2024. Allow me to guide you through the latest features and improvements.

Software as a Service

The most significant shift lies in Microsoft’s methodology to deliver Microsoft Purview to its customers. Following the path of Microsoft Fabric, Purview is now being offered as a fully integrated Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform. This platform merges federated data governance with security. For existing customers, this transition implies the necessity to migrate to tenant-level administration. How this transition will occur depends on the way accounts are created: some will automatically adapt to the new interface, while others may require a guided merging process.

Business Catalog

When examining the updated interface, the first thing to catch your attention should be the new business catalog. Indeed, Purview is evolving from a technical data catalog into a business-friendly data marketplace, teeming with a plethora of engaging features. This includes Objectives and Key Results (OKRs), Business Domains, Data Products, Data Access, Data Quality, and a fresh overview of Data Estate Health. Let’s delve into each of these to comprehend the extent of these enhancements.

Business domains

Business domains allow enterprises to structure their catalog uniquely for individual teams. Imagine a business domain as a framework within which you manage your business-related information in the catalog. So, a smaller catalog nested within your larger one…