UNIT-1 Syllabus

UNIT-1: Introduction to Data Engineering

1. Definition
2. Data Engineering Life Cycle
3. Evolution of Data Engineer
4. Data Engineering Versus Data Science
5. Data Engineering Skillsand Activities
6. Data Maturity
7. Data Maturity Model
8. Skills of a Data Engineer
9. Business Responsibilities
10. Technical Responsibilities
11. Data Engineers and Other Technical Roles
Evolution of the Data Engineer
1. Early Days (1980s-1990s): The Era of Data Warehousing

 Key Technologies: Relational databases (RDBMS), ETL (Extract, Transform, Load)

tools, Data Warehouses (e.g., IBM DB2, Oracle).
 Responsibilities:
o Building and maintaining relational databases.
o Data modeling and schema design.
o ETL processes for ingesting and preparing data for reporting.

2. The Rise of Big Data (2000s)

 Key Technologies: Hadoop, MapReduce, NoSQL databases (e.g., MongoDB,

Cassandra), Cloud storage solutions.
 Responsibilities:
o Handling large, unstructured, and semi-structured datasets.
o Designing distributed systems for processing big data.
o Creating pipelines for data ingestion, storage, and processing.

3. The Cloud and Real-Time Data (2010s)

 Key Technologies: Spark, Kafka, AWS/GCP/Azure, Data Lakes, Stream processing.

 Responsibilities:
o Building cloud-native pipelines to handle real-time data.
o Integrating disparate data sources into centralized platforms.
o Supporting data science and machine learning teams with clean, accessible data.

4. Modern Data Engineering (2020s-Present)

 Key Technologies: Snowflake, Databricks, Apache Airflow, dbt (data build tool), Delta
Lake, Kubernetes.
 Responsibilities:
o Designing and implementing end-to-end, highly automated data pipelines.
o Managing data at scale using modern tools (e.g., ELT vs. ETL).
o Ensuring data quality, governance, and compliance (e.g., GDPR, CCPA).
o Supporting diverse workloads: BI, AI/ML, operational analytics.

Comparison Over Time

Era Focus Key Tools Challenges

Batch processing, Limited scalability,
Early Days RDBMS, ETL tools
BI structured data only
Scalability, Complex setups, skill
Big Data Hadoop, NoSQL
distributed scarcity
Speed, real-time Spark, Kafka, Cloud
Cloud & Real-Time Cost management, data silos
data Services
Modern Data Automation, dbt, Snowflake, Data governance, tool
Engineering collaboration Databricks, Airflow integration
Differences between Data Engineering and Data Science
Aspect Data Engineering Data Science
Primary Focus Building and maintaining data Extracting insights and building
infrastructure and pipelines. models using data.
Key Data ingestion, transformation, Data analysis, statistical modeling,
Responsibilities storage, and integration. and predictive analytics.
Typical Outputs Scalable and reliable data systems Reports, visualizations, and
and tools. machine learning models.
Skills Required Programming (Python, Java, Scala), Programming (Python, R),
database management (SQL, statistical analysis, machine
NoSQL), ETL tools. learning, and AI.
Tools & Apache Spark, Hadoop, Kafka, SQL, Pandas, NumPy, TensorFlow,
Technologies Airflow, AWS/GCP/Azure (data PyTorch, scikit-learn, visualization
pipelines). libraries (e.g., Matplotlib).
Data Handling Works with raw, unstructured, and Uses cleaned and structured data for
semi-structured data to make it analysis and modeling.
usable.
End Goal Enable efficient data processing and Deliver actionable insights and
accessibility. data-driven decisions.
Collaboration Works closely with data scientists Collaborates with domain experts,
and software engineers. business stakeholders, and data
engineers.
Educational Computer Science, Engineering, or Statistics, Mathematics, Computer
Background related technical fields. Science, or domain-specific
expertise.
Core Metrics System uptime, data latency, and Model accuracy, precision, recall,
pipeline efficiency. and business impact of insights.
Career Path Data Engineer → Senior Data Data Scientist → Senior Data
Engineer → Data Architect → Data Scientist → Machine Learning
Engineering Manager. Engineer → AI Specialist.
Demand in High demand in industries requiring High demand in industries focused
Industry robust data infrastructure. on data-driven decision-making.
Data engineering Skills and Activities
Skills for Data Engineering

1. Programming and Scripting

 Proficiency in languages such as:

o Python: For ETL scripts, data pipelines, and API integrations.
o SQL: For querying and managing relational databases.
o Java/Scala: For big data frameworks like Apache Spark.
o Bash/Shell Scripting: For automation and managing processes.

2. Database Management

 Relational Databases: MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQL Server.

 NoSQL Databases: MongoDB, Cassandra, DynamoDB.
 Data Warehouses: Snowflake, Amazon Redshift, Google BigQuery.

3. ETL (Extract, Transform, Load)

 Tools like Apache NiFi, Talend, or custom ETL pipelines.

 Proficiency in designing ETL processes to move and transform data.

4. Big Data Technologies

 Hadoop Ecosystem: HDFS, Hive, and HBase.

 Apache Spark for distributed data processing.
 Kafka for real-time streaming data.

5. Cloud Platforms

 AWS: S3, Redshift, Glue, EMR, Lambda.

 Azure: Data Factory, Synapse, Blob Storage.
 Google Cloud: BigQuery, Dataflow, Cloud Storage.

6. Data Modeling and Architecture

 Understanding of:
o Star and Snowflake schemas.
o OLAP vs. OLTP systems.
o Dimensional modeling.

7. Pipeline Orchestration

 Tools: Apache Airflow, Luigi, Prefect.

 Scheduling and monitoring workflows.
8. Data Governance and Security

 Data privacy laws (e.g., GDPR, CCPA).

 Encryption, masking, and access control.
 Metadata management.

9. Version Control and CI/CD

 Tools: Git, GitHub/GitLab, Jenkins, CircleCI.

  Automating deployments and managing versioned codebases.

10. Soft Skills

 Problem-solving and analytical thinking.

 Collaboration with data scientists, analysts, and business teams.

Activities in Data Engineering

1. Data Ingestion

 Setting up systems to import data from diverse sources (APIs, sensors, logs).
 Real-time vs. batch ingestion using tools like Kafka or AWS Kinesis.

2. Data Transformation

 Cleaning, normalizing, and enriching raw data.

 Writing transformation logic in SQL, Python, or Spark.

3. Data Storage

 Designing and maintaining data lakes and warehouses.

 Optimizing storage for performance and cost.

4. Pipeline Development

 Building and automating data pipelines for ETL/ELT.

 Ensuring data quality with validations and error handling.

5. Monitoring and Logging

 Implementing logging to detect pipeline failures.

 Setting up monitoring dashboards with tools like Prometheus, Grafana, or CloudWatch.

6. Collaboration

 Working with data scientists to provide cleaned datasets.

 Partnering with business teams for reporting needs.

7. Performance Optimization

 Query optimization in SQL databases.

 Scaling solutions for large datasets with distributed computing.

8. Documentation

 Writing documentation for data pipelines, schemas, and processes.

 Maintaining data dictionaries and metadata.

9. Exploration and Innovation

 Evaluating new tools and technologies.

 Experimenting with improved methods for data handling
Data Maturity Model
A Data Maturity Model is a framework that helps organizations assess and improve their
capabilities in managing, analyzing, and leveraging data. It provides a structured approach to
evaluate how effectively an organization utilizes data to drive decision-making, optimize
operations, and achieve strategic goals.

Key Components of a Data Maturity Model

1. Stages or Levels of Maturity

Organizations progress through various stages of maturity, typically ranging from basic
to advanced. Common stages include:
o Ad Hoc: Data is unmanaged and siloed, used inconsistently.
o Basic: Initial efforts to centralize and standardize data, but processes are still
immature.
o Defined: Standardized processes are in place, and data governance begins.
o Managed: Data is reliable, well-integrated, and used for business intelligence
(BI).
o Optimized: Advanced analytics, AI/ML, and real-time decision-making drive
value.
2. Domains or Dimensions of Maturity
The model evaluates maturity across multiple dimensions, such as:
o Data Governance: Policies, standards, and compliance.
o Data Quality: Accuracy, completeness, and consistency.
o Technology & Infrastructure: Tools, platforms, and integrations.
o Analytics Capability: BI, predictive, and prescriptive analytics.
o Culture & Literacy: Organizational awareness and adoption of data-driven
practices.
3. Assessment Metrics
Each dimension is measured using specific criteria to determine the maturity level.
Examples include:
o The presence of a data governance board.
o The percentage of data available for analysis.
o Adoption rates of analytical tools by employees.
4. Improvement Pathways
The model provides guidance for advancing to higher maturity levels. This includes:
o Investing in data technologies.
o Establishing robust governance frameworks.
o Training staff on data literacy and analytical tools.

Benefits of Using a Data Maturity Model

 Benchmarking: Understand current capabilities and identify gaps.

 Strategic Planning: Align data initiatives with business goals.
 Prioritization: Focus resources on high-impact areas.
 Competitiveness: Improve decision-making and innovation.
Business Responsibilities of Data Engineer
The following responsibilities enable organizations to make data-driven decisions, enhance
operations, and achieve business goals.

1. Data Pipeline Development:

Create and manage scalable, reliable data pipelines to ingest, transform, and deliver data
for analysis.
2. Database Management:
Design and maintain databases and data warehouses to ensure optimal storage and
retrieval.
3. Data Quality Assurance:
Implement and enforce processes to ensure data accuracy, completeness, and reliability.
4. Collaboration:
Work with data scientists, analysts, and stakeholders to understand business requirements
and deliver data solutions.
5. Performance Optimization:
Optimize data systems for speed and scalability to meet business needs.
6. Security and Compliance:
Ensure data privacy, security, and compliance with regulations like GDPR or CCPA.
7. Innovation:
Evaluate and implement new tools and technologies to improve data processing
efficiency and effectiveness.

Technical Responsibilities of Data Engineer

The following are the Technical Responsibilities of a Data Engineer.

1. Data Pipeline Development:

Create and maintain data pipelines for extracting, transforming, and loading (ETL/ELT)
data.
2. Database Management:
Design and optimize databases and data warehouses for performance and scalability.
3. Data Integration:
Integrate data from multiple sources into unified systems.
4. Data Quality:
Ensure data accuracy, consistency, and reliability.
5. Automation:
Automate data workflows and processes to improve efficiency.
6. Infrastructure Management:
Work with big data tools and cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure, GCP) for data storage
and processing.
7. Collaboration:
Collaborate with data scientists, analysts, and stakeholders to understand data needs.
8. Monitoring:
Set up systems to monitor data pipelines and resolve issues proactively.
9. Security and Compliance:
Ensure data systems meet security and compliance requirements.