The provided text outlines the core tenets and practical implementation of a data mesh, an architectural paradigm that decentralizes data management by treating data as a product. Using a fictional case study called Messflix, the authors demonstrate how to move away from congested, centralized data warehouses toward a model where individual domain teams own and maintain their own datasets. This approach relies on four fundamental principles: decentralized ownership, product-oriented thinking, federated computational governance, and a self-serve infrastructure platform. The text provides a detailed roadmap for creating a Minimum Viable Product (MVP), establishing governance policies, and choosing technical architectures that facilitate automated data sharing. By applying software engineering best practices like DevOps and domain-driven design, organizations can improve scalability and empower users to find and utilize high-quality data. Ultimately, the source serves as a guide for transforming complex organizational structures into efficient, interconnected networks of autonomous data products.

There are nine chapters in Data Mesh in Action, organized into three main parts.

Part 1: Foundations

• Chapter 1: The what and why of the data mesh
• Chapter 2: Is a data mesh right for you?
• Chapter 3: Kickstart your data mesh MVP in a month

Part 2: The Four Principles in Practice

• Chapter 4: Domain ownership
• Chapter 5: Data as a product
• Chapter 6: Federated computational governance
• Chapter 7: The self-serve data platform

Part 3: Infrastructure and Technical Architecture

• Chapter 8: Comparing self-serve data platforms
• Chapter 9: Solution architecture design

The book also includes four appendices (A through D) following the final chapter.