Read

An Overview

Read Components in Ascend serve as the entry point for data into the Ascend platform. They are responsible for ingesting data from a wide range of external sources, such as databases, cloud storage services, and APIs, into Ascend's data processing workflows. By leveraging Connections, Read Components can securely access and bring this external data into Ascend for further processing.

Key Features of Read Components

1. Versatility with Connections: Utilizing Connections, Read Components can interface with various data sources like warehouses, databases, cloud storage, etc., making data ingestion flexible and efficient.
2. Support for Multiple File Formats: Ascend's Read Components are equipped to handle numerous file formats, including but not limited to JSON, CSV, and Parquet, thanks to specialized parsers.
3. Data Validation: Built-in Tests within Read Components help ensure the quality and integrity of ingested data by performing validations.
4. Optimization Opportunities: There are several ways to optimize Read Components, including adjusting flow resources, fine-tuning flow run frequency, and configuring partitioning strategies to enhance performance.

How Read Components Work

Read Components function by being configured to connect to specific data sources. This configuration can be done through YAML files or programmatically with Python. They describe how to access the data, what data to pull, and how to interpret it. For example, a Read Component can be configured to pull data from an S3 bucket, filtering files based on naming patterns, and parsing them as JSON.

Types of Read Components

Ascend supports a diverse array of Read Components to integrate with different data sources. This includes components for:

• Cloud Storage Services & File Sources: Including AWS S3 and Google Cloud Storage, for file-based data.
• Warehouses: Such as Snowflake, Redshift, and BigQuery for cloud-based data warehousing.
• Databases: Such as MySQL, PostgreSQL for relational data.
• APIs and Web Services: For data ingestion from external services.

Best Practices for Using Read Components

• Balancing Performance and Resource Utilization: It's crucial to find the right balance between data ingestion performance and the resources it consumes. This may involve adjusting the size and frequency of data pulls.
• Continuous Monitoring: Regularly monitor Read Component performance and the health of data pipelines to ensure seamless data ingestion.
• Security and Access Control: Ensure that connections used by Read Components are securely configured to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive data sources.

Conclusion

Read Components are a foundational component of Ascend's data engineering platform, enabling the seamless ingestion of data from a plethora of external sources. By understanding their functionality, types, and best practices, users can effectively leverage Read Components to kickstart their data processing workflows in Ascend.