FinTech Data Mesh Implementation

Challenge

A rapidly growing FinTech company was struggling with data silos across multiple business units. Each team had their own data warehouse, leading to inconsistent metrics, duplicate data, and slow time-to-insight for new products.

Solution

We implemented a federated data mesh architecture using Trino and Starburst to unify data access while maintaining domain ownership.

Key Components

• Federated Query Engine: Trino cluster connecting 8 different data sources
• Domain-Oriented Data Products: Each business unit owns their data products
• Self-Serve Platform: Automated data discovery and access for all teams
• Governance Framework: ABAC-based access control with data lineage tracking

Implementation Phases

1. Foundation: Set up federated query infrastructure
2. Domain Enablement: Migrated first 3 business units to data mesh
3. Scale: Expanded to all 8 business units
4. Optimization: Implemented AI-driven query optimization

Results

• 75% reduction in time-to-insight for new data requests
• 60% decrease in data duplication across teams
• 40% improvement in query performance through intelligent caching
• 100% compliance with financial regulations through automated governance

Technology Stack

• Query Engine: Trino with Starburst Enterprise
• Storage: Apache Iceberg on S3
• Catalog: OpenMetadata with custom lineage tracking
• Security: OPA-based policy engine with RBAC/ABAC
• Monitoring: Custom OpenTelemetry dashboards

Business Impact

The federated data mesh enabled the company to:

• Launch new financial products 3x faster
• Maintain regulatory compliance with automated governance
• Scale data operations without proportional infrastructure costs
• Enable data-driven decision making across all business units