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Introduction

Virtual Data Platform (VDP) is a low-code / no-code virtual data and services integration platform designed for users to access and integrate any kind of data and services in real-time from everywhere and across networks directly in the users’ preferred applications.

The following figure provides an overview of the architecture and core components of VDP:

Introductionary Architecture

In general, the architecture of the data integration platform comprises three main levels:

  • Source System Connections: Technical components that establish connections between Virtual Data Platform and the data sources at the bottom level. These sources can be diverse, ranging from simple CSV files or JSON REST APIs on the web to more complex systems such as SAP BW Systems or SQL Servers. Importantly, the physical location of the data sources does not matter. They can reside within the company's internal network, on the web, or even within external company networks like in subsidiaries.

  • Core Virtual Data Platform: This component is the core of the platform that manages all internal processing tasks and provides additional services. This is often also referred to as the backend of VDP.

  • Front-End Applications: Located at the top level, these connectors facilitate the integration of VDP with users' preferred analytical applications, such as Excel, Power BI, or programming languages like R.

Additionally, the architecture includes the following components:

  • Single Sign-On (SSO): Ensuring that the original user rights are consistently utilized.

  • Agent: This component manages cross-network communication and facilitates data loads across networks.

This documentation includes more comprehensive details on all components, their configurations, simple examples, and additional information. While we have already included some links above, we suggest beginning with the Getting Started section. It covers the initial technical setup of Virtual Data Platform based on a checklist and provides some examples with links to more detailed explanations e.g. in the fundamental concepts section.