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Data models are top-level organizational structures that define how industrial data is shaped and connected within the CDF knowledge graph. A data model groups views and serves as the main interface for applications to access and interact with structured data. When you create a data model, you establish a coherent API contract for consuming data from your space. For the conceptual overview, see Data models.

What are data models

A data model acts as a logical grouping of views that together represent a domain or use case. Each data model provides a stable, versioned interface for applications to query and write data. Data models are scoped to a space, which controls access and organization.
Data models support versioning. You can create new versions over time to evolve your schema while maintaining backward compatibility for existing consumers.

Creating and versioning

When you create a data model, you assign it to a space and optionally specify a version. New versions can be created as your data modeling requirements evolve. Versioning helps you manage breaking changes and allows applications to pin to specific versions.

Key capabilities

  • Create and update — Create new data models or update existing ones with new view references.
  • Delete — Remove data models when they are no longer needed.
  • List — List all data models in a space, optionally filtered by status or other criteria.
  • Retrieve — Fetch a specific data model by ID or external ID to inspect its configuration and views.
Last modified on April 23, 2026