Single source of truth
lastmod 2026-04-08created 2026-03-162 edits
In information systems design and theory, single source of truth (SSOT) is the practice of structuring information models and the associated data schema such that every data element is controlled or edited in only one place. Any possible linkages to a data element (which may come from other areas of the relational schema or even from distant federated databases) are made by reference only. Because all other locations of the data merely refer back to the location of the primary "source of truth", updating the data element in the primary location propagates it to the entire system, without the possibility of a duplicate copy of the data being left out of the update.
Deploying an SSOT architecture is becoming increasingly important in enterprise settings, where the risk of retrieving outdated, and therefore incorrect, information from incorrectly linked duplicates or denormalized data elements (the result, intentional or not, of denormalizing some explicit data model) is ever present. For example, electronic medical records must accurately verify a patient's identity based on information in a single, unique reference repository, and that repository serves as the SSOT. Within an enterprise, representations of duplicated data would be implemented using pointers to where the original data is stored, rather than by copying database tables, rows, or columns. This ensures that updates to data elements in the authoritative location are thoroughly distributed to the federated database constituencies of the larger overall enterprise architecture.
See also
- Software development
- Database
- Blockchain
- Circular reporting
- Database normalization
- SOLID
- Single point of truth (SPOT)