The Data Pipeline Just Got a Makeover

In the realm of data engineering, where efficiency and security often seem at odds, Fivetran has introduced a potential game-changer: Hybrid Deployment.

This new solution aims to empower enterprises to seamlessly move data across any environment on a unified platform, providing a much-needed bridge between the agility of the cloud and the control of on-premises infrastructure.

The hybrid advantage: Control and flexibility

Fivetran's Hybrid Deployment addresses a common pain point for enterprises dealing with sensitive data or operating in regulated industries.

The company's press release observes that enterprises with sensitive data or in regulated industries often struggle to build data-driven practices. Hybrid Deployment seeks to break down those barriers by enabling secure data centralization while maintaining granular control.

“Businesses no longer have to choose between managed automation and data control,” states George Fraser, Fivetran’s chief executive officer.

“They can now securely move data from all their critical sources — like Salesforce, Workday, Oracle, SAP, other cloud and on-premises databases and ERPs — into a data warehouse or data lake, all while keeping that data under their own control,” he adds.

This benefit resonates with the challenges many data engineers face. They are often forced to compromise between the convenience of cloud-based solutions and their organizations' security requirements.

How it works: A secure, streamlined approach

Hybrid Deployment leverages a lightweight local agent to securely move data within the customer's environment, while Fivetran's platform handles management and monitoring. This separation of control and data planes ensures sensitive information never leaves the customer's secure perimeter.

Vinay Kumar Katta, managing delivery architect at Capgemini, lauds this approach, saying, “Customers will appreciate Fivetran's best-in-class platform that offers the flexibility to choose how and where their pipelines run.” His comment highlights a key benefit for data engineers: the freedom to design pipelines that meet their specific needs without sacrificing security.

Benefits beyond security: Visibility, cost management, and more

Hybrid Deployment offers a range of benefits beyond security, including:

• Full Visibility: Monitor all pipelines from a single interface.
• Data Security: Control access, mask sensitive data, and track movement.
• Compatibility: Works across major cloud providers and on-premises environments.
• Simplicity: Quick installation and minimal maintenance.
• Flexibility: Scale and customize pipelines with integrations for APIs and tools like Terraform.
• Cost Management: Track usage and control budgets.

These features address many day-to-day challenges data engineers face, such as ensuring pipeline health, managing data access, and optimizing costs.

Real-world impact: Streamlining data pipelines

Early adopters of Hybrid Deployment are already seeing tangible benefits. Troy Fokken, chief architect at phData, notes how it "streamlines the data pipeline processes" for customers in regulated industries.

Ajay Bidani, data and insights manager at Powell Industries, acknowledges the “simplicity of management” and the ability to “launch and manage cloud-based and on-premises pipelines directly from one platform.”

These testimonials underscore the potential of Hybrid Deployment to alleviate the burden on data engineering teams, allowing them to focus on higher-value tasks.

Bottom line

Fivetran's Hybrid Deployment marks a significant step towards a more flexible and secure data landscape, making it a welcome addition to the data engineer's toolkit.

It allows them to shift away from complex, brittle DIY pipelines towards a more streamlined, managed approach. With its focus on control, visibility, and cost management, Hybrid Deployment could empower data engineers to build more robust, efficient, and compliant data solutions.

It remains to be seen how widely it will be adopted, but the early signs suggest it has the potential to reshape the way data engineers approach their work.

Image credit: iStockphoto/Tatiana Serebryakova