Pawanpreet Sangari | 9/10/2024Organizations are challenged by vast amounts of data spread across various databases and repositories, located both in on-premises systems and cloud services, making data management more difficult and data analytics / business intelligence initiatives less effective. Additionally, the rise of generative artificial intelligence (AI) has made the need for effective data governance even more critical. For AI to gain widespread acceptance across industries, stakeholders must have confidence in the technology and governance of data
Data Governance tools to the Rescue
A key part of any effective data governance strategy is the right data governance tool that can streamline and automate enterprise data management processes, enforce data governance policies, assure compliance with regulatory standards, and reduce the risk of data breaches.
In this blog, we will discuss two popular data governance tools: Alation and Collibra; and compare these tools based on pricing, functionality, federation capabilities, security architecture, Fed Ramp authorization and support services.
Before we dive into the tool comparison, let’s first review their key features:
Introduction to Alation
Alation is a data catalog and data intelligence platform; founded in 2012. The company’s flagship data catalog software uses AI, machine learning, automation, and natural language processing techniques to simplify data discovery, automatically create business glossaries and power its core Behavioral Analysis Engine, which analyzes data usage patterns with an eye toward streamlining data stewardship, data governance and query optimization. Alation Data Catalog automatically sifts through, parses and ; applies machine learning for pattern recognition to generate popularity rankings, usage recommendations and other insights.
Alation Data Catalog includes guided navigation and various collaboration features. For example, to answer questions about data sets. Users can also subscribe to notifications created by Alation when data sets or articles are updated. Prebuilt analytics dashboards offer customizable reporting and Alation Cloud Service provides data intelligence as a service.
Other key features in the Alation tool include the following:
- Prebuilt connectors to various data sources, plus an Open Connector Framework SDK for building custom ones.
- A built-in SQL editor that can be used as an alternative to natural language search.
- Detailed lineage view of data, enabling users to understand the origin and transformation of data, facilitating better decision-making.
Introduction to Collibra
Collibra, founded in 2008, is known for its Data Catalog solution with comprehensive set of features and user-friendly interface. It empowers organizations to effectively manage their data assets and supports an extensive set of automated features for data discovery and classification using a proprietary machine learning algorithm; data curation, also powered by machine learning; and data lineage. Collibra also supports graph-based metadata management techniques that help provide information on data quality and lineage to users. Collibra Data Catalog provides embedded data governance capabilities, guided data stewardship features and granular controls for enforcing data security and privacy protections, all in a single console.
Other key features in Collibra’s data catalog tool include the following:
- Prebuilt integrations for ingesting metadata from various data stores, as well as commonly used business applications, BI platforms, and data science tools.
- Capabilities for data classification, data security, and data privacy management.
- Follows best practices from software development
- A “data shopping experience” that enables users to search for relevant data without requiring any SQL coding.
Comparison between Collibra and Alation
Now that we have explored the core features and benefits of both Collibra and Alation, let’s delve deeper into their differences and see how they stack up against each other in crucial aspects of data management.
1. Pricing Structure
Collibra:
- Collibra offers a yearly licensing subscription with different pricing plans based on the duration.
- As of July 2024, the pricing ranges from $170,000 for a 12-month plan to $510,000 for a 36-month plan.
- The actual cost may vary based on the size of the organization, volume of data managed, the number of users, and the specific features required.
Alation:
- Alation’s pricing has two main components: a server license and a per-user cost.
- As of July 2024, the baseline SaaS Alation package can be purchased directly on AWS for approx. $198,000 for a 12-month plan. This includes the Alation Data Catalog Server and 25 user creators.
- Additional cloud hosting fees may apply.
- The actual cost may vary based on the number of users, the volume of data managed, and the specific features required
2. Features and Functionality
Collibra:
- Allows organizations to establish and enforce policies around data classification, security, and privacy.
- Provides fine-grained control over , enabling organizations to navigate the complex landscape of data governance with ease.
- Enhances operational efficiency by automating data management processes and reducing manual efforts.
- Facilitates the cleansing and enrichment of data, leading to higher precision in analytics and better quality of insights.
Alation:
- Excels in data discovery and search capabilities by utilizing an AI-powered search engine that enables users to find data assets quickly and easily.
- The search capabilities provided are designed to be user-friendly, even for users with minimal knowledge about the data they are looking for.
- Analyzes query logs to understand how data is being used, which helps in optimizing data management and identifying valuable data assets.
3. Federation
Data federation allows for the seamless integration of data across various platforms and systems by ensuring the autonomy of each participating database, ensuring that data remains secure, relevant, and manageable. Both Collibra and Alation support federated data governance.
Collibra:
- Federated data governance model enables each data domain to operate as a self-contained business unit that is responsible for its own data products while still adhering to a common set of standards and practices.
- Regular communication and collaboration between different domains are encouraged to ensure that governance practices are consistent and aligned with organizational goals.
Alation:
- Alation Federation refers to the use of Alation’s data catalog for implementing Federated Data Governance.
- It involves establishing governance authorities within each data domain, and defining the rules, policies, and standards specific to that domain.
4. Security Architecture
Both Collibra and Alation comply with various security standards including ISO 27001:2013, ISO 27701:2019, and SOC 2 Type II.
Collibra:
- Collibra’s security architecture includes workflows for auditing and investigating potential security breaches.
- These workflows help to log a potential security breach, investigate any potential security breaches that have been logged, and report actual security breaches to the appropriate stakeholders. During the workflow, users are prompted to add evidence of notification to the Supervisory Authority.
Alation:
- Alation’s security measures include data encryption, operational security meeting industry best practices, and risk and vulnerability management.
- Alation has a process in place to notify customers of any confirmed data breaches and assist them in compliance with their breach-related obligations.
5. Fed Ramp Authorization
Collibra:
- Collibra is Authorized, meeting the stringent cloud security requirements of the U.S. Federal Government.
- It enables government agencies to use Collibra securely in a SaaS deployed environment.
- Collibra has been recognized by several leading federal agencies, including the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Federal Aviation Administration.
Alation:
- As of July 2024,
- It is partnering with Constellation GovCloud and Merlin Cyber to accelerate its authorization journey.
- Once authorized, federal, state, and local agencies can use Alation for their sensitive workloads across cloud applications.
6. Support and Services
- Both Collibra and Alation provide comprehensive technical support through email, contact forms, phone, and the User Community.
- However, for ongoing support Alation provides support services to customers who have paid the applicable fees.
- Support is determined by incident priority as assigned by Alation based on severity levels.
- Customers who have purchased Mission Critical Support will have a designated support engineer that is region-based, as selected by the customer, to serve as the customer’s primary contact for support requests.
Conclusion
Choosing the right data catalog tool is of paramount importance for organizations looking to achieve effective data management and governance. Both Collibra and Alation offer robust data governance tools with unique features and capabilities.
| Feature | Collibra | Alation |
| Type | Commercial data catalog solution | Commercial data catalog solution |
| Focus | Data governance and compliance | Data search, discovery, governance, stewardship, and analytics |
| Use Case | Organizations requiring solutions for data governance, compliance, and data quality management | Organizations looking for an out-of-the-box solution with commercial support. |
| Features |
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Collibra focuses on data governance and compliance, while Alation emphasizes data discovery and search capabilities. The choice between the two depends on the specific needs and priorities of an organization. If data governance and compliance are crucial, Collibra may be the more suitable option. On the other hand, if data discoverability and search capabilities are the top concerns, Alation might be the better choice.
Alation’s market share is growing, and they focus highly on Snowflake integrations and “data mesh”. If you work in a Snowflake shop, this platform will fit well. Column-level lineage is available for Snowflake.
Ultimately, the choice between Collibra and Alation depends on specific requirements, such as pricing, federation needs, security architecture, compliance, and client base. Whether you prioritize data governance or data discoverability, both tools offer robust capabilities that can significantly enhance your data management practices. Take the time to evaluate your requirements and consider the benefits and trade-offs of each tool to make an informed decision that aligns with your organization’s data strategy.
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