How to Achieve New Standards in Data Quality and Observability using Databricks Lakehouse Monitoring
Data & Analytics
Last Updated: March 11, 2025
FAQs
Databricks Lakehouse Monitoring is an integrated platform service designed to monitor the quality and performance of data and machine learning (ML) models within the Databricks Lakehouse architecture.
It combines the capabilities of data lakes and data warehouses, providing a unified approach to data management and analytics. The primary function of Databricks Lakehouse Monitoring is to track and manage the statistical properties and quality of data across all tables in a user’s account, as well as monitor the performance of ML models by analyzing inference tables that contain model inputs and predictions. This monitoring service is built into the Unity Catalog, ensuring that data and AI assets are high quality, accurate, and reliable through deep insights into their lineage.
It plays a crucial role in the modern data ecosystem by providing a comprehensive solution for data quality management and model performance tracking, allowing organizations to monitor their entire data pipelines, from raw data ingestion to feature engineering and ML model deployment, without the need for additional tools or complexity.
Using Databricks Lakehouse Monitoring helps ensure the quality and consistency of your data over time. It provides quantitative measures to track data integrity, detect changes in data distribution, and monitor model performance. This helps in identifying and addressing issues proactively, ensuring reliable and high-quality data for analysis and decision-making.
Data quality is crucial because it directly impacts the reliability and accuracy of insights derived from data. High-quality data ensures better decision-making, operational efficiency, and customer satisfaction. Poor data quality can lead to misguided decisions, increased costs, and potential compliance issues.
Databricks Lakehouse Monitoring offers three types of analysis:
- Time Series Analysis: This type of analysis is used for tables containing time series datasets. It requires a timestamp column to monitor data quality metrics across time-based windows. This allows users to track changes in data distribution over time, which is crucial for understanding trends and detecting anomalies in time-sensitive data.
- Snapshot Analysis: Snapshot analysis is applicable to tables where the entire dataset is processed with each refresh. It calculates data quality metrics over the entire table, providing a comprehensive view of the data’s current state. This is useful for static datasets where periodic full-table analysis is necessary to ensure data integrity.
- Inference Analysis: Inference analysis is tailored for tables that log model requests, including inputs, predictions, and optional ground-truth labels. It compares model performance and data quality metrics across time-based windows of the request log. This type of analysis is essential for monitoring machine learning models’ performance over time, ensuring that models remain accurate and reliable.
Key capabilities of Databricks Lakehouse Monitoring include:
- Data Quality Monitoring: It provides tools to monitor the statistical properties and quality of data across all tables in an account, helping to track data integrity and changes in data distribution over time.
- Model Performance Tracking: The platform allows users to monitor the performance of machine learning models by analyzing inference tables, including tracking shifts in model inputs and predictions, and comparing the performance of different model versions.
- Drift Detection: Drift detection identifies shifts in data distribution compared to a baseline or between time windows. This is critical for detecting when data or model performance deviates from expected norms, which can impact model accuracy and reliability.
- Proactive Anomaly Detection: Proactively detects anomalies in data and models, reducing operational costs and time to market. This ensures issues are addressed before they impact downstream processes, improving efficiency and reliability.
- Unified Tooling: Provides complete visibility into data and ML models, enabling teams to measure their impact effectively. This unified approach simplifies monitoring and ensures seamless integration with data governance frameworks.
- Automated Root Cause Analysis: Traces anomalies in data or model performance back to their root causes, enabling faster debugging and resolution. This reduces downtime and ensures data pipelines and models remain reliable and efficient.
Hexaware and Databricks collaborate to provide advanced analytics and AI solutions that drive business outcomes. Hexaware leverages Databricks’ unified data platform to offer solutions like Data Lakehouse architecture, ML/AIOps for efficient models, and real-time AI analytics. This partnership helps enterprises use the full potential of data leading to improved efficiency and business impact.

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