Cracking the Data Engineering Interview. Land your dream job with the help of resume-building tips, over 100 mock questions, and a unique portfolio

Kedeisha Bryan, Taamir Ransome

Preparing for a data engineering interview can often get overwhelming due to the abundance of tools and technologies, leaving you struggling to prioritize which ones to focus on. This hands-on guide provides you with the essential foundational and advanced knowledge needed to simplify your learning journey.The book begins by helping you gain a clear understanding of the nature of data engineering and how it differs from organization to organization. As you progress through the chapters, you’ll receive expert advice, practical tips, and real-world insights on everything from creating a resume and cover letter to networking and negotiating your salary. The chapters also offer refresher training on data engineering essentials, including data modeling, database architecture, ETL processes, data warehousing, cloud computing, big data, and machine learning. As you advance, you’ll gain a holistic view by exploring continuous integration/continuous development (CI/CD), data security, and privacy. Finally, the book will help you practice case studies, mock interviews, as well as behavioral questions.By the end of this book, you will have a clear understanding of what is required to succeed in an interview for a data engineering role.

Dane grafowe w praktyce. Jak technologie grafowe ułatwiają rozwiązywanie złożonych problemów

Komputer do pracy potrzebuje liczb i danych. Człowiek chętniej wysnuwa wnioski i wyodrębnia kontekst na podstawie relacji. Te dwa sposoby myślenia są tak odmienne, że komputery do niedawna z trudem wykonywały zadania związane z operowaniem na relacjach. Obecnie może się to zmienić dzięki grafom. Technologie grafowe łączą ludzkie postrzeganie świata i liniową pamięć komputerów. Ich wdrożenie na szerszą skalę będzie stanowić przełom i pozwoli osiągnąć nieznany dziś poziom. Ale najpierw trzeba nauczyć się stosować myślenie grafowe w rozwiązywaniu problemów technicznych. Dzięki tej książce opanujesz podstawy myślenia grafowego. Zapoznasz się z elementarnymi koncepcjami grafowymi: teorią grafów, schematami baz danych, systemami rozproszonymi, a także analizą danych. Dowiesz się również, jak wyglądają typowe wzorce wykorzystania danych grafowych w aplikacjach produkcyjnych. Poznasz sposób, w jaki można te wzorce stosować w praktyce. Pokazano tu, jak używać technik programowania funkcyjnego oraz systemów rozproszonych do tworzenia zapytań i analizowania danych grafowych. Opisano też podstawowe podejścia do proceduralnego przechodzenia przez dane grafowe i ich wykorzystanie za pomocą narzędzi grafowych. W książce: nowy paradygmat rozwiązywania problemów: dane grafowe wzorce wykorzystania danych grafowych przykładowa architektura aplikacji w technologiach relacyjnych i grafowych technologie grafowe a przewidywanie preferencji i zaufania użytkowników filtrowanie kolaboratywne i jego zastosowanie Grafy: przełomowa koncepcja w analizie danych!

Data Cleaning and Exploration with Machine Learning. Get to grips with machine learning techniques to achieve sparkling-clean data quickly

Michael Walker

Many individuals who know how to run machine learning algorithms do not have a good sense of the statistical assumptions they make and how to match the properties of the data to the algorithm for the best results.As you start with this book, models are carefully chosen to help you grasp the underlying data, including in-feature importance and correlation, and the distribution of features and targets. The first two parts of the book introduce you to techniques for preparing data for ML algorithms, without being bashful about using some ML techniques for data cleaning, including anomaly detection and feature selection. The book then helps you apply that knowledge to a wide variety of ML tasks. You’ll gain an understanding of popular supervised and unsupervised algorithms, how to prepare data for them, and how to evaluate them. Next, you’ll build models and understand the relationships in your data, as well as perform cleaning and exploration tasks with that data. You’ll make quick progress in studying the distribution of variables, identifying anomalies, and examining bivariate relationships, as you focus more on the accuracy of predictions in this book.By the end of this book, you’ll be able to deal with complex data problems using unsupervised ML algorithms like principal component analysis and k-means clustering.

Data Engineering Best Practices. Architect robust and cost-effective data solutions in the cloud era

Richard J. Schiller, David Larochelle

Revolutionize your approach to data processing in the fast-paced business landscape with this essential guide to data engineering. Discover the power of scalable, efficient, and secure data solutions through expert guidance on data engineering principles and techniques. Written by two industry experts with over 60 years of combined experience, it offers deep insights into best practices, architecture, agile processes, and cloud-based pipelines. You’ll start by defining the challenges data engineers face and understand how this agile and future-proof comprehensive data solution architecture addresses them. As you explore the extensive toolkit, mastering the capabilities of various instruments, you’ll gain the knowledge needed for independent research. Covering everything you need, right from data engineering fundamentals, the guide uses real-world examples to illustrate potential solutions. It elevates your skills to architect scalable data systems, implement agile development processes, and design cloud-based data pipelines. The book further equips you with the knowledge to harness serverless computing and microservices to build resilient data applications.By the end, you'll be armed with the expertise to design and deliver high-performance data engineering solutions that are not only robust, efficient, and secure but also future-ready.

Data Engineering with Alteryx. Helping data engineers apply DataOps practices with Alteryx

Paul Houghton

Alteryx is a GUI-based development platform for data analytic applications.Data Engineering with Alteryx will help you leverage Alteryx’s code-free aspects which increase development speed while still enabling you to make the most of the code-based skills you have.This book will teach you the principles of DataOps and how they can be used with the Alteryx software stack. You’ll build data pipelines with Alteryx Designer and incorporate the error handling and data validation needed for reliable datasets. Next, you’ll take the data pipeline from raw data, transform it into a robust dataset, and publish it to Alteryx Server following a continuous integration process.By the end of this Alteryx book, you’ll be able to build systems for validating datasets, monitoring workflow performance, managing access, and promoting the use of your data sources.

Data Engineering with AWS. Acquire the skills to design and build AWS-based data transformation pipelines like a pro - Second Edition

Gareth Eagar

This book, authored by a seasoned Senior Data Architect with 25 years of experience, aims to help you achieve proficiency in using the AWS ecosystem for data engineering. This revised edition provides updates in every chapter to cover the latest AWS services and features, takes a refreshed look at data governance, and includes a brand-new section on building modern data platforms which covers; implementing a data mesh approach, open-table formats (such as Apache Iceberg), and using DataOps for automation and observability.You'll begin by reviewing the key concepts and essential AWS tools in a data engineer's toolkit and getting acquainted with modern data management approaches. You'll then architect a data pipeline, review raw data sources, transform the data, and learn how that transformed data is used by various data consumers. You’ll learn how to ensure strong data governance, and about populating data marts and data warehouses along with how a data lakehouse fits into the picture. After that, you'll be introduced to AWS tools for analyzing data, including those for ad-hoc SQL queries and creating visualizations. Then, you'll explore how the power of machine learning and artificial intelligence can be used to draw new insights from data. In the final chapters, you'll discover transactional data lakes, data meshes, and how to build a cutting-edge data platform on AWS.By the end of this AWS book, you'll be able to execute data engineering tasks and implement a data pipeline on AWS like a pro!

Data Engineering with Databricks Cookbook. Build effective data and AI solutions using Apache Spark, Databricks, and Delta Lake

Pulkit Chadha

Written by a Senior Solutions Architect at Databricks, Data Engineering with Databricks Cookbook will show you how to effectively use Apache Spark, Delta Lake, and Databricks for data engineering, starting with comprehensive introduction to data ingestion and loading with Apache Spark.What makes this book unique is its recipe-based approach, which will help you put your knowledge to use straight away and tackle common problems. You’ll be introduced to various data manipulation and data transformation solutions that can be applied to data, find out how to manage and optimize Delta tables, and get to grips with ingesting and processing streaming data. The book will also show you how to improve the performance problems of Apache Spark apps and Delta Lake. Advanced recipes later in the book will teach you how to use Databricks to implement DataOps and DevOps practices, as well as how to orchestrate and schedule data pipelines using Databricks Workflows. You’ll also go through the full process of setup and configuration of the Unity Catalog for data governance.By the end of this book, you’ll be well-versed in building reliable and scalable data pipelines using modern data engineering technologies.

Data Engineering with dbt. A practical guide to building a cloud-based, pragmatic, and dependable data platform with SQL

Roberto Zagni

dbt Cloud helps professional analytics engineers automate the application of powerful and proven patterns to transform data from ingestion to delivery, enabling real DataOps.This book begins by introducing you to dbt and its role in the data stack, along with how it uses simple SQL to build your data platform, helping you and your team work better together. You’ll find out how to leverage data modeling, data quality, master data management, and more to build a simple-to-understand and future-proof solution. As you advance, you’ll explore the modern data stack, understand how data-related careers are changing, and see how dbt enables this transition into the emerging role of an analytics engineer. The chapters help you build a sample project using the free version of dbt Cloud, Snowflake, and GitHub to create a professional DevOps setup with continuous integration, automated deployment, ELT run, scheduling, and monitoring, solving practical cases you encounter in your daily work.By the end of this dbt book, you’ll be able to build an end-to-end pragmatic data platform by ingesting data exported from your source systems, coding the needed transformations, including master data and the desired business rules, and building well-formed dimensional models or wide tables that’ll enable you to build reports with the BI tool of your choice.

Data Engineering with Google Cloud Platform. A guide to leveling up as a data engineer by building a scalable data platform with Google Cloud - Second Edition

Adi Wijaya, António Vilares

The second edition of Data Engineering with Google Cloud builds upon the success of the first edition by offering enhanced clarity and depth to data professionals navigating the intricate landscape of data engineering.Beyond its foundational lessons, this new edition delves into the essential realm of data governance within Google Cloud, providing you with invaluable insights into managing and optimizing data resources effectively. Written by a Data Strategic Cloud Engineer at Google, this book helps you stay ahead of the curve by guiding you through the latest technological advancements in the Google Cloud ecosystem. You’ll cover essential aspects, from exploring Cloud Composer 2 to the evolution of Airflow 2.5. Additionally, you’ll explore how to work with cutting-edge tools like Dataform, DLP, Dataplex, Dataproc Serverless, and Datastream to perform data governance on datasets.By the end of this book, you'll be equipped to navigate the ever-evolving world of data engineering on Google Cloud, from foundational principles to cutting-edge practices.

Data Engineering with Scala and Spark. Build streaming and batch pipelines that process massive amounts of data using Scala

Eric Tome, Rupam Bhattacharjee, David Radford

Most data engineers know that performance issues in a distributed computing environment can easily lead to issues impacting the overall efficiency and effectiveness of data engineering tasks. While Python remains a popular choice for data engineering due to its ease of use, Scala shines in scenarios where the performance of distributed data processing is paramount.This book will teach you how to leverage the Scala programming language on the Spark framework and use the latest cloud technologies to build continuous and triggered data pipelines. You’ll do this by setting up a data engineering environment for local development and scalable distributed cloud deployments using data engineering best practices, test-driven development, and CI/CD. You’ll also get to grips with DataFrame API, Dataset API, and Spark SQL API and its use. Data profiling and quality in Scala will also be covered, alongside techniques for orchestrating and performance tuning your end-to-end pipelines to deliver data to your end users. By the end of this book, you will be able to build streaming and batch data pipelines using Scala while following software engineering best practices.

Data Governance Handbook. A practical approach to building trust in data

Wendy S. Batchelder

2.5 quintillion bytes! This is the amount of data being generated every single day across the globe. As this number continues to grow, understanding and managing data becomes more complex. Data professionals know that it’s their responsibility to navigate this complexity and ensure effective governance, empowering businesses with the right data, at the right time, and with the right controls.If you are a data professional, this book will equip you with valuable guidance to conquer data governance complexities with ease. Written by a three-time chief data officer in global Fortune 500 companies, the Data Governance Handbook is an exhaustive guide to understanding data governance, its key components, and how to successfully position solutions in a way that translates into tangible business outcomes.By the end, you’ll be able to successfully pitch and gain support for your data governance program, demonstrating tangible outcomes that resonate with key stakeholders.

Data Ingestion with Python Cookbook. A practical guide to ingesting, monitoring, and identifying errors in the data ingestion process

Gláucia Esppenchutz

Data Ingestion with Python Cookbook offers a practical approach to designing and implementing data ingestion pipelines. It presents real-world examples with the most widely recognized open source tools on the market to answer commonly asked questions and overcome challenges.You’ll be introduced to designing and working with or without data schemas, as well as creating monitored pipelines with Airflow and data observability principles, all while following industry best practices. The book also addresses challenges associated with reading different data sources and data formats. As you progress through the book, you’ll gain a broader understanding of error logging best practices, troubleshooting techniques, data orchestration, monitoring, and storing logs for further consultation.By the end of the book, you’ll have a fully automated set that enables you to start ingesting and monitoring your data pipeline effortlessly, facilitating seamless integration with subsequent stages of the ETL process.

Data Management Strategy at Microsoft. Best practices from a tech giant's decade-long data transformation journey

Aleksejs Plotnikovs

Microsoft pioneered data innovation and investment ahead of many in the industry, setting a remarkable standard for data maturity. Written by a data leader with over 15 years of experience following Microsoft’s data journey, this book delves into every crucial aspect of this journey, including change management, aligning with business needs, enhancing data value, and cultivating a data-driven culture.This book emphasizes that success in a data-driven enterprise goes beyond relying solely on modern technology and highlights the importance of prioritizing genuine business needs to propel necessary modernizations through change management practices. You’ll see how data-driven innovation does not solely reside within central IT engineering teams but also among the data's business owners who rely on data daily for their operational needs. This guide empower these professionals with clean, easily discoverable, and business-ready data, marking a significant breakthrough in how data is perceived and utilized throughout an enterprise. You’ll also discover advanced techniques to nurture the value of data as unique intellectual property, and differentiate your organization with the power of data.Its storytelling approach and summary of essential insights at the end of each chapter make this book invaluable for business and data leaders to advocate for crucial data investments.

Data Modeling with Snowflake. A practical guide to accelerating Snowflake development using universal data modeling techniques

Serge Gershkovich, Kent Graziano

The Snowflake Data Cloud is one of the fastest-growing platforms for data warehousing and application workloads. Snowflake's scalable, cloud-native architecture and expansive set of features and objects enables you to deliver data solutions quicker than ever before.Yet, we must ensure that these solutions are developed using recommended design patterns and accompanied by documentation that’s easily accessible to everyone in the organization.This book will help you get familiar with simple and practical data modeling frameworks that accelerate agile design and evolve with the project from concept to code. These universal principles have helped guide database design for decades, and this book pairs them with unique Snowflake-native objects and examples like never before – giving you a two-for-one crash course in theory as well as direct application.By the end of this Snowflake book, you’ll have learned how to leverage Snowflake’s innovative features, such as time travel, zero-copy cloning, and change-data-capture, to create cost-effective, efficient designs through time-tested modeling principles that are easily digestible when coupled with real-world examples.

Data Modeling with Tableau. A practical guide to building data models using Tableau Prep and Tableau Desktop

Kirk Munroe

Tableau is unlike most other BI platforms that have a single data modeling tool and enterprise data model (for example, LookML from Google’s Looker). That doesn’t mean Tableau doesn’t have enterprise data governance; it is both robust and highly flexible. This book will help you effectively use Tableau governance models to build a data-driven organization.Data Modeling with Tableau is an extensive guide, complete with step-by-step explanations of essential concepts, practical examples, and hands-on exercises. As you progress through the chapters, you’ll learn the role that Tableau Prep Builder and Tableau Desktop each play in data modeling. You’ll also explore the components of Tableau Server and Tableau Cloud that make data modeling more robust, secure, and performant. Moreover, by extending data models for Ask and Explain Data, you’ll gain the knowledge required to extend analytics to more people in their organizations, leading to better data-driven decisions. Finally, this book will guide you through the entire Tableau stack and the techniques required to build the right level of governance into Tableau data models for the correct use cases.By the end of this Tableau book, you’ll have a firm understanding of how to leverage data modeling in Tableau to benefit your organization.

Data Quality in the Age of AI. Building a foundation for AI strategy and data culture

Andrew Jones

As organizations worldwide seek to revamp their data strategies to leverage AI advancements and benefit from newfound capabilities, data quality emerges as the cornerstone for success. Without high-quality data, even the most advanced AI models falter. Enter Data Quality in the Age of AI, a detailed report that illuminates the crucial role of data quality in shaping effective data strategies.Packed with actionable insights, this report highlights the critical role of data quality in your overall data strategy. It equips teams and organizations with the knowledge and tools to thrive in the evolving AI landscape, serving as a roadmap for harnessing the power of data quality, enabling them to unlock their data's full potential, leading to improved performance, reduced costs, increased revenue, and informed strategic decisions.