information technology Information technology (IT) is the use of computers to create, process, store, retrieve, and exchange all kinds of data . and information. IT forms part of information and communications technology (ICT). An information technology system (I ...

, a disparate system or a disparate data system is a

computer data processing A computer is a machine that can be programmed to carry out sequences of arithmetic or logical operations (computation) automatically. Modern digital electronic computers can perform generic sets of operations known as programs. These programs ...

system that was designed to operate as a fundamentally distinct data processing system without exchanging data or interacting with other computer data processing systems.

Legacy systems In computing, a legacy system is an old method, technology, computer system, or application program, "of, relating to, or being a previous or outdated computer system", yet still in use. Often referencing a system as "legacy" means that it paved ...

are examples of disparate data systems as are heterogeneous database data systems. A disparate system is often characterized as an

information silo An information silo, or a group of such silos, is an insular management system in which one information system or subsystem is incapable of reciprocal operation with others that are, or should be, related. Thus information is not adequately shared ...

because of the data system's isolation from or incompatibility with any other data systems.

Overview

Each data system may be envisioned as being composed of a software layer or

applications architecture In information systems, applications architecture or application architecture is one of several architecture domains that form the pillars of an enterprise architecture (EA). An applications architecture describes the behavior of Application soft ...

, a data layer or

data architecture Data architecture consist of models, policies, rules, and standards that govern which data is collected and how it is stored, arranged, integrated, and put to use in data systems and in organizations. Data is usually one of several architecture dom ...

, and a data processing environment layer or technical architecture. Any of these three layers may contribute to forming a disparate data system.

References

{{Reflist Information technology Information systems Data partitioning

Overview

See also

References