Skip to content
    Flow-alerta.cab

    Data Lineage

    Data integration & searchData origin and processing lineData Flow LineageProof of origin
    Editorially reviewed on: 2 sources
    Your reading view

    The short answer · 22 words

    In short

    Data lineage makes it possible to understand from which sources data originates, how it flows and through which transformations it is changed.

    Flow-alerta.cab (2026): Data Lineage. https://flow-alerta.cab/en/glossar/data-lineage. Editorially reviewed on: 10 October 2026.

    How much detail would you like?

    Practical

    Lineage supports error analysis, change consequences, audit and confidence in metrics. It shows connections, but does not automatically prove that data and transformations are technically correct.

    A revenue field in the dashboard can be traced back to the source system via aggregation, adjusted order table and ETL job.

    SMEs prioritize critical reports and data flows. Automatic recording is supplemented with responsible persons, descriptions and change processes.

    At a glance

    Core
    Data Lineage documents sources, movements, processing steps and dependencies of data up to their output. The term Provenance is often used more broadly for origin and context information; however, the delineation is not uniform everywhere.
    Use
    Lineage supports error analysis, change consequences, audit and confidence in metrics. It shows connections, but does not automatically prove that data and transformations are technically correct.
    Example
    A revenue field in the dashboard can be traced back to the source system via aggregation, adjusted order table and ETL job.
    Limits
    Only capture tables instead of columns and logic, omit manual steps or do not keep metadata up to date. Automatically detected lineage requires professional validation.

    In context

    ETL

    ETL extracts data, transforms it and then loads it into a target system.

    Data Governance

    Data governance determines who decides on data, what principles apply and how responsibility and control are organised.

    Questions about this term

    Lineage or Provenance? Provenance is often broader, the terms overlap. Does lineage detect errors? It helps in the search, but does not guarantee correctness. Does everything have to be recorded? Critical data flows first.

    All details and background

    Data Lineage documents sources, movements, processing steps and dependencies of data up to their output. The term Provenance is often used more broadly for origin and context information; however, the delineation is not uniform everywhere.

    ELI5 – Explained simply

    It is the pedigree of a data value: where did it come from, which stations did it go through and what was changed on the way?

    Why it matters in practice

    Lineage supports error analysis, change consequences, audit and confidence in metrics. It shows connections, but does not automatically prove that data and transformations are technically correct.

    Example

    A revenue field in the dashboard can be traced back to the source system via aggregation, adjusted order table and ETL job.

    Pitfalls and limits

    • Only capture tables instead of columns and logic, omit manual steps or do not keep metadata up to date. Automatically detected lineage requires professional validation.

    Origin & history

    Lineage emerged from database provenance, ETL metadata and governance requirements. OpenLineage today provides an open specification for interoperable job, run and dataset metadata.

    Use in mid-sized companies

    • SMEs prioritize critical reports and data flows. Automatic recording is supplemented with responsible persons, descriptions and change processes.

    Related terms

    Matching Flow-alerta service

    AI assistants & automationData architecture and governance: mapping critical data flows, documenting transformations and establishing impact analyses.

    Matching tool / use case

    View use casesOpenLineage with DataHub or OpenMetadata; Use Case: tracing errors in a metric back to the affected source and transformation.

    Sources

    Quellenprüfung: 10.10.2026. Definition und dokumentierte Einordnung abgeglichen; Beispiele beschreiben mögliche Anwendungen.

    Editorially reviewed on:

    Next step

    Put knowledge into practice

    Discuss your projectView use cases