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Third Generation ETL: Delivering the Best Performance (Part 2)
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A data warehouse appliance uses commodity processors and hardware optimized for BI and combines them with software built specifically for data warehouse-based analytics in a single box. This paper examines the value of Data Warehouse Appliances.
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The process of selecting an ETL (extract, load, transfer) software solution is typically a complex one, during which many features need to be evaluated. One of the most critical criteria that must be met is performing well in a given environment and configuration.
Many vendors of ETL software will conclude their sales pitch by giving numbers always very impressive regarding the performance of their solution. They are almost invariably provided in the form: such tool can transfer so many rows per time unit.
Many users, however, have been misled by impressive-looking performance numbers that turned out to be less than impressive in real life. Why? Because performance is one of the most difficult elements to evaluate without conducting a full-scale evaluation. Indeed, performance in the production environment is significantly affected by the overall architecture of the information system and by the flow of data during the ETL process.
In Part 1 we looked at the different generations of ETL software and the architecture of third generation ETL products. Part 2 looks in more detail at some of the essential characteristics of this architecture.
Flexibility
The flexibility of the architecture is a key component of the actual performance of ETL processes. It is imperative to be able to reorganize the architecture as dictated by the technical environment the ETL tool should not dictate the architecture. Here are some typical choices that must be left open because the optimal answer may differ for each project:
- Which database engine will be used for the transformations? Will it be the source database engine, the target, or another one?
- Is it acceptable to have processing data mixed in with production data?
- How easy is it to redefine the location of your databases?
- What happens to ETL developments if the physical address of a server changes or if a database name changes?
- How will the code be promoted from the development environment to the production environment?
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