ETL – Extract Transform Load
ETL stands for the whole process of extracting, transforming, and loading big data using database tools. Extract means to get data out of different data sources. Transform means that the data format is changed in order to better support querying and analysis. Load then means to get this data into a database that is daily used in business. Although these three process elements have been known for decades also the indirect process element transporting gets important. This is in particular relevant for extracting and then transporting big data to the location of the new database. Especially geographically dispersed organizations face challenges in the transportation of large quantities of data. The indirect process element transport can be relevant between each of the other ETL process elements.
The extraction part of the process is very important as all other process parts rely on it. It is also called as reading since in many cases the data is read from one database in order to store the data into another. The transformation part of the process is more difficult, because data is converted into a new format. In many cases also additional data is combined with the original data. This means that the design of the format needs to be proper to support business operations with the data they need. The loading into a database part of the process then is easier. But it needs to be ensured for operational effectiveness that the data is stored in a proper database management tool. After the ETL process is finished the big data stored inside a database is used daily for data analysis. A good overview by ORACLE can be found here.
More Information about ETL
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