What are data entities, and why are they important?

A data entity is a de-normalized, conceptual abstraction of one or more underlying database tables that represents a business concept (such as Customers or Vendors).

Importance:

• Simplifies data import/export and integrations

• Encapsulates business logic in one place

• Insulates customizations from table schema changes

• Enables Excel add-ins, OData services, and recurring integrations

• Used as the primary mechanism for ALM data packages

Example:
A Customer data entity combines data from tables like CustTable, DirPartyTable, and address tables into a single view.