What is ETL?
ETL is abbreviation of Extract, Transform and Load. Basically it is a process used in data warehousing and data integrating process where the data is extracted from one or multiple source, process and transform the data in the required format and finally load to the target destination.
Let’s drill into each process of ETL
1. Extract
The data is extracted from one or multiple sources such as files, web services, databases, API’s and more. Usually the extracted data is in its raw format without any modification.
2. Transform
As the extracted data is in raw form, it needs to be transformed and make the data more useful which can provides the insights. In this process the data is cleaned, modified , standardized, aggregate to meet the requirements.
3. Load
Once the data is transformed as per requirements then the data is loaded to the target destination such as data warehouse or database where the data can be used for decision making, analytics or any other business purpose. While loading data the process may involve actions like inserting, updating or appending the data to the target location.
ETL solution technologies
Some of the technologies provides ETL (Extract, Transform and Load) solutions.
- Informatica PowerCenter : A leading enterprise ETL tool provides advanced data integration, transform and governance feature for complex ETL workflows.
- Apache NiFI : An open-source data ingestion and distribution system that supports powerful and scalable ETL workflows with a user-friendly interface.
- Talend : It offers a wide range of ETL capabilities, including data cleansing, enrichment, and integration with various sources and targets.
- IBM Datastage : A powerful ETL tool that offers robust data integration and transformation capabilities, along with support for real-time data processing and analytics
- Pentaho Data Integration : An open-source ETL tool that offers a graphical design interface for building data integration and transformation workflows.
These are just a few examples of ETL technologies available in the market, and the choice of tool depends on factors such as the specific requirements of the project, budget, scalability needs, and integration with existing systems.