While loading all data every time (full load) is straightforward, it can be very inefficient, especially with large datasets. Imagine copying millions or billions of records daily when only a small fraction has actually changed. This consumes significant time, processing power, and network bandwidth, putting unnecessary strain on both the source and target systems. For many applications, a more efficient approach is needed: incremental loading.
Incremental loading focuses on processing only the data that is new or has been modified since the last ETL run. Instead of replacing the entire target table, you selectively add new records (append) or update existing ones. This makes the loading process much faster and less resource-intensive. Let the amount of data processed in a full load be Dfull and in an incremental load be Dincremental. Typically, Dincremental≪Dfull for large, relatively stable datasets.
The foundation of incremental loading is accurately identifying which records need to be processed. Common techniques include:
created_at
) or last modified (updated_at
). During extraction, you can select only records where the timestamp is later than the timestamp of the last successful ETL run. For example, select records where timestamprecord>timestamplast_load. This is a common and relatively simple method for systems that reliably track modification times.needs_sync
, is_dirty
, status
). The ETL process extracts records with the specific flag set and might reset the flag after successful processing.Once you've identified the new or changed data, you need to load it into the target system. There are two primary ways to do this incrementally:
This is the simplest form of incremental loading. You only add new records to the target table. Existing records in the target are never modified. This strategy is suitable for accumulating data where historical records don't change, such as:
Think of it like adding entries to a diary; you add new pages but don't usually go back and rewrite old ones.
A diagram showing new records being added (appended) to an existing target table.
Often, data in the source system can change. A customer might update their address, or the status of an order might change. In these cases, simply appending data isn't enough; you need to modify existing records in the target system as well as insert new ones. This combined operation is often called an "Upsert" (Update or Insert).
To perform an upsert, the ETL process needs:
Upsert is common for loading dimension tables in data warehouses (e.g., customer details, product information) where attributes can change over time.
A diagram showing how an upsert operation updates an existing record (ID: 2) and inserts a new record (ID: 4).
While efficient, incremental loading introduces some complexity compared to full loads:
Despite these points, the performance benefits often make incremental loading the preferred strategy for handling large or frequently updated datasets after the initial full load. It minimizes the load on systems and allows for more frequent data updates, keeping the target system more current.
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