What are the disadvantages of data mesh?
Data meshes can require significant investment in terms of time, resources, and expertise. They can be complex to operate and maintain, especially at scale. It's a trade-off between modularity and simplicity. Data meshes can be difficult to change or adapt once they are in place.Data Mesh encourages businesses to create cross-functional teams, each responsible for a specific domain. Small businesses can start by identifying key domains : sales, marketing, customer service.A data mesh architecture is designed to reduce friction to data access and promote collaboration. It provides more of a user-centric approach to data management. A data fabric architecture is a more automated approach to bringing data from various sources and systems together to derive insights from that data.

Why is data mesh obsolete : In its 2022 data management hype cycle, Gartner regarded data mesh as obsolete before plateau, arguing that the original data mesh concept will be obsolete before it reaches what Gartner calls the “plateau of productivity.” That doesn't mean it is dead, but it might die out, or be absorbed or recast via another …

Is data mesh useful

The data mesh approach can be useful in large and complex organizations, where data is used across different business units and functions, and where data quality and governance are critical to business success.

What are the 4 pillars of data mesh : Data Mesh is founded in four principles: "domain-driven ownership of data", "data as a product", "self-serve data platform" and a "federated computational governance".

Pros include – data integration, governance, agility, scalability and cost savings. Each of these require more than software to succeed. Cons include – complexity, integration challenges, data security, potential lack of vendor support, and limited integration options.

Gartner's stance on data mesh

Interestingly, Gartner also predicts that the data mesh concept will become “obsolete before plateau.” The Gartner Hype Cycle for Data Management, 2022 – Source: Gartner. This forecast does not necessarily imply that the paradigm is currently obsolete.

Is data mesh the future

Data mesh is not going away anytime soon.

As firms mature and accelerate digital and AI investments, they will focus more on business-value-driven data product creation. Domain ownership defines the context of the data product domain. Self-service will continue to grow.Lack of domain talent density

One of the biggest reasons why data mesh initiatives are so frequently unsuccessful is due to the level of talent that's required to make them work.Data mesh, using data-as-a-product, enables organizations to expose data to all domains. This empowers sharing and collaboration across teams. It also avoids duplication of effort and helps ensure agility. The image below shows how different domains can share data-as-a-product, increasing agility.

A data mesh model prevents data silos from forming around central engineering teams. It also reduces the risk of data assets getting locked within different business domain systems. Instead, the central data management framework governs and records the data available in the organization.

Is data mesh only for analytics : A successful data mesh fulfills use cases for operational as well as analytic data domains.

What is the risk of data fabric : Risks with Data Fabric

Since data fabric lets users access data from virtually any storage unit, it increases the security threats as well. It is essential that the infrastructure for the transportation of data is secured by firewalls and proper protocols are followed to avoid breaches.

What are the cons of data fabric

  • Complex and costly deployment and adaption.
  • Data virtualization support required.
  • Limited real-time data pipelining capabilities, making it less suitable for operational workloads, where real-time data integration is needed.
  • Multiple disjointed tools, acquired over time, and not yet integrated into a single platform.


Analysts have suggested that data mesh is at risk of failing, a dying trend in 2024. Gartner put data mesh in the innovation trigger phase of the Hype Cycle for Data Management but predicted it will be “obsolete before plateau.”A data mesh is best for distributed organizations where data is a key component of cross-functional operations. These organizations tend to leverage large volumes of data sources and require faster experimentation with that data as a key component of their business operations.

Is data mesh dead : Analysts have suggested that data mesh is at risk of failing, a dying trend in 2024. Gartner put data mesh in the innovation trigger phase of the Hype Cycle for Data Management but predicted it will be “obsolete before plateau.”