As a simple example of system of record data, suppose you want to find out what your
account balance is right now. You go to the application environment to find out what
your account balance is. Now, you are doing your income taxes, and you need to find a
check that you wrote 13 months ago. You go to the data warehouse to find that check.

Now, suppose you want to find a marketing analysis of your account along with other
similar accounts. You look to the system of record in the marketing data mart. Now,
suppose you are being audited by the IRS and you need to go find a check that was
written 10 years ago. You go to the system of record in big data.

At every point along the line, you can find reliable, accurate data by looking in the
system of record.

The Flow of Data in the System of Record

When looking at the mapping of the system of record to the end-state architecture, it is
seen that there is a flow of data from one component to another. In some cases, the data
simply flow from one component to another. For example, data flow from the data
warehouse to big data. But in other cases, the flow of data takes place in the form of a
transformation. Data within the system of record are transformed as they move from the
application component to the data warehouse component, and data are transformed as
they move from the data warehouse to the data mart.

Fig. 15.1.9 shows that transformation takes place.

Chapter 15.1: The System of Record