The DataStax whitepaper "Moving to a Modern Architecture" discusses eight key ways to prepare for and manage a modern data architecture. It emphasizes the importance of designing a data blueprint that can withstand challenges, such as increasing data volume and user traffic. To future-proof a data design, it suggests utilizing a scale-out masterless database architecture with built-in redundancy in compute, storage, and data. Additionally, location independence is crucial for continuous availability and uniform customer response times. The whitepaper also highlights the need for DBMS systems that handle contextual transaction management, supporting transactional, analytical, and search workloads.