> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.cognite.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# About Cognite Data Fusion (CDF)

> Cognite Data Fusion (CDF) is an industrial DataOps platform that streams your industrial data into a structured, flexible, and contextualized knowledge graph.

With Cognite, **you** own your data. We use it only to provide agreed-upon services, handle it [**securely**](/cdf/trust/index), and comply with **privacy** and **legal regulations**. If you leave our services, we ensure you continue to own your data.

Cognite Data Fusion (CDF) runs in the [**cloud**](/cdf/admin/clusters_regions) and has a modular design that lets you stream data from various sources, contextualize it, and make it available through dedicated workspaces, APIs, and SDKs.

<Frame>
  <img class="illustration" src="https://apps-cdn.cogniteapp.com/@cognite/docs-portal-images/1.0.0/images/cdf/cdf_architecture3.svg" alt="The CDF architecture" />
</Frame>

## Implementation steps

The following steps provide a high-level overview of implementing CDF. For a complete implementation guide, see [Deploy CDF](/cdf/deploy/).

<Steps>
  <Step title="Set up data management">
    Before integrating data, define your **data governance** policies. Appoint a **<span translate="no">CDF</span> admin** to work with IT to ensure <span translate="no">CDF</span> follows your organization's [**security**](/cdf/trust/security/security_intro) practices. Connect <span translate="no">CDF</span> to your identity provider (<span translate="no">IdP</span>) to [**manage access**](/cdf/access) using existing user identities. <span translate="no">CDF</span> provides out-of-the-box [data models](/cdf/dm/) to build a structured, flexible, contextualized **knowledge graph**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Integrate data">
    [Add data](/cdf/integration/) from your **IT**, **OT**, and **ET** sources into CDF, including industrial control systems, ERP systems, and 3D CAD models. **Extract** data using standard protocols like <span translate="no">PostgreSQL</span> and <span translate="no">OPC-UA</span>, then **transform** it in the <span translate="no">CDF</span> [**staging area**](/cdf/integration/guides/extraction/raw_explorer) to fit the <span translate="no">CDF</span> data model. Use automatic and interactive [**contextualization**](/cdf/integration/concepts/contextualization/) tools that combine AI, machine learning, and domain expertise to map resources from different source systems to each other.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Consume data and build solutions">
    With contextualized data in your industrial knowledge graph, use the built-in [Flows](/cdf/flows_workspace/) and build powerful apps and [AI agents](/cdf/atlas_ai/) to meet your business needs. All data is available through our [**REST-based API**](/api-reference/concepts/20230101/api-description). <span translate="no">Cognite</span> provides **connectors** and [**SDKs**](/dev/sdks/) for common programming languages and [analytics tools](/cdf/data_science/guides/ds_tools), like <span translate="no">Python</span>, <span translate="no">JavaScript</span>, <span translate="no">Spark</span>, <span translate="no">OData</span> (<span translate="no">Excel</span>, <span translate="no">Power BI</span>), and <span translate="no">Grafana</span>. The [**<span translate="no">Functions</span>**](/cdf/functions/admin) service provides a scalable, secure way to host and run <span translate="no">Python</span> code.
  </Step>
</Steps>