The Five Unified Catalog Business Concepts

Microsoft describes five core business concepts in Unified Catalog that help organisations structure and scale data governance.

1. Governance Domains

Business-aligned boundaries for ownership, accountability and governance.

2. Data Products

Groups of data assets organised around a defined use case and made understandable to consumers.

3. Critical Data Elements

Important information that needs particular governance attention because of its business, regulatory or operational significance.

4. Glossary Terms

Business concepts and definitions that provide shared meaning and can carry governance policies.

5. Objectives and Key Results

Business outcomes and measurable results that connect governance activity to organisational goals.

These concepts work together. Governance Domains provide the boundary, data products package data for use, glossary terms and critical data add business meaning and governance requirements, and OKRs connect the work to outcomes.