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Hub

A Hub is a core component in Data Vault 2.0 methodology, representing a central business concept or entity that is uniquely identified by one or more business keys. Hubs form the backbone of the Data Vault model, providing a stable, integrated list of unique business keys from across the enterprise. They are designed to be resilient to changes in source systems and business processes.

Key Characteristics:​

  • Business Key Focus: Stores unique business keys (e.g., Customer ID, Product Code, Employee Number).
  • Integration Point: Integrates business keys from various source systems.
  • Stability: Designed to be stable over time; changes to descriptive data about the business entity are stored in Satellites.
  • Minimal Attributes: Contains only the business key(s), a load timestamp, and a record source. It does not store descriptive attributes.

Role in Data Vault:​

Hubs are fundamental for establishing a single version of the truth for core business entities. They ensure that each unique business entity is represented only once, regardless of how many source systems might refer to it. This helps in creating a consistent and auditable data integration layer.

Simple Hub Example:​

This example defines a Hub for CUSTOMER, identified by a single business key CUSTOMER_BK.

name: 'HUB_CUSTOMER'
entity_type: 'hub'
concatenate_business_keys: false
requires_source_business_key: false
enable_refresh: true
target_business_key_columns:
  - 'CUSTOMER_BK' # The business key column in the target Hub table
entity_sources:
  - urn:s2v:hub_source:SAP_MASTERDATA:      # Unique URN for this source
      entity_source: (SAP_MASTERDATA, KNA1) # Source: (Schema, Table)
      source_filter: ''                     # Optional filter on the source
      source_system_configuration_urn: 'urn:s2v:source_setting:SAP' # Link to global source settings
      business_key_mapping:
        - CUSTOMER_BK:          # Target business key column name
            - 'KUNNR'           # Source column from ERP Customers table
      source_business_key: ''   # Optional: for multi-master scenarios
  • For a detailed step-by-step guide on building a Hub, please refer to the How to build a Hub? tutorial.
  • For a comprehensive guide on all available properties and detailed explanations for defining a Hub, please refer to the Hub Reference.