In a first enterprise joined in a distributed, federated network of second enterprises, a system is provided for managing data flow between enterprises, the system including a data management server in the first enterprise having access to sets of rules for managing data flow to and from the first enterprise, a first data interface in the first enterprise dedicated to data transfer to a paired second dedicated data interface at a neighboring second enterprise in the federation, wherein the first data interface manages data sent to the second interface and/or data incoming from the second interface according to the sets of rules for managing data flow.