Azure Data Engineer End to End Project: A Comprehensive Guide

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Posted Nov 1, 2024

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As a data engineer working on an Azure project, you'll likely start by designing and implementing a data warehousing solution. This involves creating a data pipeline to collect and process data from various sources, and storing it in a centralized location for analysis.

The first step is to choose the right tools for the job. Azure offers a range of services that can be used for data warehousing, including Azure Synapse Analytics and Azure Data Lake Storage. These services provide scalable and secure storage for large amounts of data.

A well-designed data warehousing solution is crucial for any data engineering project. It allows for efficient data processing, analysis, and reporting, and enables business users to make informed decisions based on data insights.

A unique perspective: Azure Data Services

Preparation

As an Azure Data Engineer, preparation is key to a successful end-to-end project. The project requires an understanding of Azure services such as Azure Synapse Analytics, Azure Databricks, and Azure Data Factory.

Credit: youtube.com, An End to End Azure Data Engineering Real Time Project Demo | Get Hired as an Azure Data Engineer

To begin, you need to identify the project requirements and objectives. This involves understanding the data sources, data types, and the desired outcome. For instance, the project may require integrating data from multiple sources, which can be achieved using Azure Data Factory's copy data pipeline feature.

You should also familiarize yourself with Azure Synapse Analytics, a cloud-based enterprise data warehouse that can handle large amounts of data. According to the article, Azure Synapse Analytics can handle petabyte-scale data and provide real-time analytics capabilities.

In addition, you should consider using Azure Databricks, a fast, easy, and collaborative Apache Spark-based analytics platform. Azure Databricks can be used for data engineering, data science, and business analytics workloads.

It's also essential to plan for data governance and security in your project. This includes setting up access controls, data encryption, and auditing. As mentioned in the article, Azure Data Factory provides features such as data encryption and access control to ensure secure data transfer and processing.

By following these steps, you can set yourself up for success in your Azure Data Engineer end-to-end project.

Setup

Credit: youtube.com, Olympic Data Analytics | Azure End-To-End Data Engineering Project

In the Azure Data Engineer End to End Project, setting up the environment is a crucial step. This involves creating a resource group in Azure.

You'll need to decide on a subscription and resource group name for your project. For this example, we'll use "my-subscription" and "my-resource-group".

Make sure to create a new resource group in Azure to avoid any potential issues with existing resources.

Tech Stack

When setting up a project, it's essential to have the right tech stack in place. The Azure End-to-End project uses Python, SQL, and Spark as its primary languages.

These languages are complemented by the PySpark package, which provides a Python API for Apache Spark.

Azure Data Factory (ADF) is a key service in this tech stack, enabling data integration and workflows.

Azure Blob Storage (ADLS Gen2) and Azure Databricks are also used, providing scalable storage and processing capabilities.

Logic Apps and Azure SQL Database round out the tech stack, enabling automation and data management.

Setting Up

Modern data center corridor with server racks and computer equipment. Ideal for technology and IT concepts.
Credit: pexels.com, Modern data center corridor with server racks and computer equipment. Ideal for technology and IT concepts.

The first step in setting up your new system is to gather all the necessary components, including the hardware, software, and any additional accessories.

Make sure to read the user manual for your specific hardware to understand its unique requirements.

The user manual for your router, for example, may specify a specific type of cable to use for optimal performance.

You'll also need to download the software required for your system, which can usually be found on the manufacturer's website.

Be sure to create a strong password for your system, as this will be your first line of defense against potential security threats.

Use a password manager to generate and store unique, complex passwords for each of your system's components.

A good password manager can also help you keep track of multiple login credentials and update them as needed.

The setup process may also require you to configure your network settings, including your Wi-Fi name and password.

For another approach, see: Azure Data Manager for Agriculture

Azure Factory and Databricks

Credit: youtube.com, How to Run an Azure Databricks Notebook with Azure Data Factory

Azure Factory and Databricks is a powerful combination for data management and analysis. This is a crucial part of the setup process.

Azure Data Factory (ADF) is a cloud-based service that allows you to create, schedule, and manage data pipelines. It integrates with various data sources and services, including Azure Blob Storage and Databricks.

To get started with ADF, you'll need to create a pipeline, which is a series of tasks that are executed in a specific order. This involves creating datasets, data flows, and linked services.

Here are the key components of a pipeline in ADF:

  • Datasets: These represent the input and output data for your pipeline.
  • Data flows: These are the transformations and operations that are applied to your data.
  • Linked services: These are the connections to external services and data sources.

With Databricks, you can transform and process your data using PySpark, a high-performance analytics engine. You can also use Databricks to create notebooks, which are interactive documents that contain code and visualizations.

Credit: youtube.com, Azure Data Factory with Databricks setup connection

In an Azure Data Factory and Databricks end-to-end project, you can use ADF to replicate data into a bronze layer, and then use Databricks to transform and load the data into a silver zone. This allows for a structured and organized data flow.

The goal of this project is to extract valuable insights from the data, such as identifying customer behavior patterns and determining the top-rated drivers. This information can be pivotal for businesses in optimizing operations and making data-driven decisions.

Data Ingestion

Data Ingestion is a crucial step in any data engineering project. To restore the AdventureWorksLT2017 Database, you need to restore it from a .bak file.

You can use Azure Data Factory to ingest data from various sources, including GitHub, as demonstrated in the COVID-19 data collection and ingestion phase. This involves setting up a Linked service and defining the BASE URL for the files.

To ingest data from an on-premise server into Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2, you can create a Copy Pipeline. This pipeline loads the data from the local server into the "bronze" directory in ADLS Gen2 storage folders, where it's stored in Parquet format.

Here are the steps involved in setting up a Copy Pipeline:

  1. Restore the AdventureWorksLT2017 Database from the .bak file.
  2. Setup the Microsoft Integration Runtime between Azure and the On-premise SQL Server.
  3. Create a Copy Pipeline which loads the data from local on-premise server into Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 "bronze" directory.

Part 1: Ingestion

Credit: youtube.com, Part 3- Data Ingestion (1) | End to End Azure Data Engineering Project

Ingesting data is a crucial step in any data pipeline, and it's essential to get it right. You can restore a database from a .bak file, just like in the AdventureWorksLT2017 example.

To set up the Microsoft Integration Runtime, you'll need to connect Azure and your on-premise SQL Server. This is a critical step in enabling data transfer between the two environments.

A Copy Pipeline is used to load data from your local on-premise server into Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2. This is a common scenario, especially when working with large datasets.

Data is stored in Parquet format in ADLS Gen2 storage folders. This format is efficient and widely used in data lakes.

Here are the key steps to ingest data:

  1. Restore a database from a .bak file.
  2. Set up the Microsoft Integration Runtime between Azure and your on-premise SQL Server.
  3. Create a Copy Pipeline to load data from your local on-premise server into Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2.

These steps will help you get started with data ingestion. Remember to choose the right data format, such as Parquet, to ensure efficient storage and querying.

Collection

Collection is a crucial step in the data ingestion process, and it's essential to understand how to extract and load data efficiently.

Credit: youtube.com, Data Ingestion: Reading and Importing Online Data Sets

Azure Data Factory is a powerful tool that enables seamless data ingestion from various sources, including GitHub.

Data from GitHub can be extracted and loaded into an Azure environment using Azure Data Factory.

In the case of extracting data from GitHub, it's essential to configure the source dataset as an HTTP source.

A Linked service is set up to connect to the GitHub source, and the BASE URL is defined for all files.

For the sink datasets, the Delimited Text (CSV) format is selected, and the destination container is designated as "raw-data" within the Storage account.

Minor modifications are made to the file names to improve their clarity and comprehensibility.

Here's a summary of the steps involved in data collection:

Storage

Storage is a critical component of any data engineering project, and Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 is a popular choice for storing transformed data. It ensures that each DataFrame is written to a single CSV file and specifies options such as overwriting existing data and treating the first row as headers.

Credit: youtube.com, Azure End-To-End Data Engineering Project (From Scratch!)

It's good practice to handle errors and exceptions during the write operation. This can be achieved by implementing try-except blocks in the code.

Data is organized into separate directories within the storage account, making it easier to manage and organize. Depending on the size of the data, consider partitioning the data into multiple files for better performance.

Proper access controls and permissions should be set up for the Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 account to restrict unauthorized access. This is crucial for ensuring the security and integrity of the data.

Here are some best practices for storing data in Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2:

  • Handle errors and exceptions during the write operation.
  • Partition the data into multiple files for better performance.
  • Ensure proper access controls and permissions are set up.

A designated container, referred to as “bronze-data,” is used for storing raw data files in a secure and organized location. This staging area acts as the initial repository for the data.

Data Transformation

Data transformation is a crucial step in any Azure data engineer end-to-end project. It involves using transformations with Data Bricks and Azure SQL database in the pipeline.

Credit: youtube.com, Part 6 - Data Transformation (2) | End to End Azure Data Engineering Project for Beginners

To execute jobs with ADF, you need to set up clusters and secret scopes for data transformation. This allows you to securely and efficiently process large datasets.

Here are some key considerations for data transformation:

  • Executing jobs with ADF
  • Setting up clusters
  • Setting up secret scopes

By following these best practices, you can ensure that your data transformation process is secure, efficient, and effective.

Transformation

Transformation is a crucial step in data processing, allowing you to manipulate and refine your data into a format that's easier to work with.

Data transformation involves using tools like Data Bricks and Azure SQL Database in the pipeline, which enables you to execute jobs with Azure Data Factory (ADF) and set up clusters.

Transformations can be executed with ADF, making it easier to manage and automate your data transformation processes.

To set up clusters for data transformation, you'll need to create secret scopes, which provide a secure way to store sensitive information.

Data transformation is an essential step in preparing your data for analysis, and by using the right tools and techniques, you can unlock valuable insights from your data.

Modeling

Credit: youtube.com, Data Modeling for Power BI [Full Course] 📊

Now that we have transformed our data, it's time to think about modeling. To do this, we need to load our data into a Lake Database in Azure Synapse Analytics.

We start by setting up our Azure Synapse workspace, which also creates another Storage Account: Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 (ADLS Gen2). This is a crucial step in our data transformation process.

To use Azure Synapse for working with this data, we copy the files from the ‘Transformed-data’ container into our ADLS Gen2. We can utilize a pipeline containing a copy activity from our source with the linked service: AzureBlobStorage, to our destination with the linked service: Default Storage account for our Synapse workspace (ADLS Gen2).

We add a Lake Database named ‘CovidDB’ in the data part of the Synapse workspace. This makes it easier for us to add our tables, which we specify by creating external tables from the data lake.

We establish relationships between the tables, defining how the data in these tables should be associated or correlated. For fact tables, we chose the “To table” option, as these tables serve as the parent tables for the dimension tables.

Azure Factory and Databricks Template Outcomes

Credit: youtube.com, Azure Databricks Tutorial | Data transformations at scale

The Azure Data Factory and Databricks End-to-End Project Template is a comprehensive guide that helps you understand the key components of a data transformation project.

Understanding the Trip transaction dataset is a crucial step in the process.

The template covers the evolution of Delta Lake from Data Lake, highlighting its features and benefits.

Delta Lake is a storage layer that allows for efficient data management and transformation.

The Medallion Architecture is a key concept in the template, providing a structured approach to data management.

Azure Data Factory is a cloud-based service that enables data replication, processing, and transformation.

Creating Dataflow in Azure Data Factory is a critical step in the process, allowing you to define and manage data flows.

Creating Pipelines in Azure Data Factory enables you to automate data processing and transformation.

Creating Datasets in Azure Data Factory helps you manage and organize your data.

Transforming data using PySpark in Databricks notebooks is a powerful way to process and analyze data.

For your interest: Azure Master Data Management

Credit: youtube.com, Using Databricks in Azure Data Factory for ETL

Scheduling the Pipeline in Azure Data Factory ensures that your data is processed at regular intervals.

Creating Logic Apps to trigger emails for pipeline resiliency helps you stay on top of any issues that may arise.

Monitoring Sessions in Azure Data Factory provides real-time insights into your data processing and transformation activities.

Here are the key outcomes of the Azure Data Factory and Databricks End-to-End Project Template:

  • Understanding the Trip transaction dataset
  • Understanding the Features of Delta Lake
  • Understanding the Evolution of Delta Lake from Data Lake
  • Understanding the Medallion Architecture
  • Overview of Azure Data Factory
  • Creating Dataflow in Azure Data Factory
  • Creating Pipelines in Azure Data Factory
  • Creating Datasets in Azure Data Factory
  • Transforming data using PySpark in Databricks notebooks
  • Scheduling the Pipeline in Azure Data Factory
  • Creating Logic Apps to trigger emails for pipeline resiliency
  • Monitoring Sessions in Azure Data Factory

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the path for Azure Data Engineer?

To become an Azure Data Engineer, you'll need to pass the DP-200 and DP-201 exams, which cover data management, monitoring, security, and privacy in Azure data solutions. Passing these exams demonstrates expertise in designing and implementing data solutions on the Azure platform.

What is the difference between Azure Data Engineer and Data Engineer?

Azure Data Engineers focus on infrastructure and architecture, while Data Engineers work on data processing and engineering. The key difference lies in their areas of expertise, with Data Engineers focusing on data pipelines and architecture.

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