The traceable map of where data came from, how it was transformed, and where it flowed - the backbone of debugging and audit.
Data lineage is the documented path data takes through its lifecycle: its origins, every transformation applied, and every destination it reached. It answers three questions that come up constantly - where did this value come from, what would breaking this upstream step affect, and can I trust this output - and it is what makes a complex pipeline debuggable instead of a black box.
Where provenance is the record-level chain of custody for a single value, lineage is the system-level graph of how data moves. Both matter, and they reinforce each other: when a surprising number appears, lineage tells you which stage to inspect, and provenance tells you which source record to blame. For anything that has to stand up to an audit or an angry customer, having the map already drawn beats reconstructing it under pressure.
A live evaluation measures EdgeOrigin against your coverage requirements: decision-ready real-time data, delivery latency into your systems, and record-level provenance.