Apache Airflow is an open-source workflow management system (WMS) that is primarily used to programmatically author, orchestrate, schedule, and monitor data pipelines as well as workflows. The solution makes it possible for you to manage your data pipelines by authoring workflows as directed acyclic graphs (DAGs) of tasks. By using Apache Airflow, you can orchestrate data pipelines over object stores and data warehouses, run workflows that are not data-related, and can also create and manage scripted data pipelines as code (Python).
Apache Airflow Features
Apache Airflow has many valuable key features. Some of the most useful ones include:
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Smart sensor: In Apache Airflow, tasks are executed sequentially. The smart sensors are executed in bundles, and therefore consume fewer resources.
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Dockerfile: By using Apache Airflow’s dockerfile feature, you can run your business’s Airflow code without having to document and automate the process of running Airflow on a server.
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Scalability: Because Apache Airflow has a modular architecture and uses a message queue to orchestrate an arbitrary number of workers, you can easily scale it.
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Plug-and-play operators: With Apache Airflow, you can choose from several plug-and-play operators that are ready to execute your tasks on many third-party services.
Apache Airflow Benefits
There are many benefits to implementing Apache Airflow. Some of the biggest advantages the solution offers include:
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User friendly: Using Apache Airflow requires minimal python knowledge to get started.
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Intuitive user interface: The Apache Airflow user interface enables you to visualize pipelines running in production, monitor progress, and also troubleshoot issues when needed.
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Easy integration: Apache Airflow can easily be integrated with cloud platforms (Google, AWS, Azure, etc).
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Visual DAGs: Apache Airflow’s visual DAGs provide data lineage, which facilitates debugging of data flows and also aids in auditing and data governance.
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Flexibility: Apache Airflow provides you with several ways to make DAG objects more flexible. At runtime, a context variable is passed to each workflow execution, which is quickly incorporated into an SQL statement that includes the run ID, execution date, and last and next run times.
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Multiple deployment options: With Apache Airflow, you have several options for deployment, including self-service, open source, or a managed service.
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Several data source connections: Apache Airflow can connect to a variety of data sources, including APIs, databases, data warehouses, and more.
Reviews from Real Users
Below are some reviews and helpful feedback written by PeerSpot users currently using the Apache Airflow solution.
A Senior Solutions Architect/Software Architect says, “The product integrates well with other pipelines and solutions. The ease of building different processes is very valuable to us. The difference between Kafka and Airflow, is that it's better for dealing with the specific flows that we want to do some transformation. It's very easy to create flows.”
An Assistant Manager at a comms service provider mentions, “The best part of Airflow is its direct support for Python, especially because Python is so important for data science, engineering, and design. This makes the programmatic aspect of our work easy for us, and it means we can automate a lot.”
A Senior Software Engineer at a pharma/biotech company comments that he likes Apache Airflow because it is “Feature rich, open-source, and good for building data pipelines.”
AWS Step Functions is widely utilized for constructing data management pipelines, such as data validation and database tasks. The system especially excels in parallel ETL job execution, managing complex microservices workflows, and integrating AWS services for smooth task automation and infrastructure orchestration.
Offering extensive control over historical events and parallelization, AWS Step Functions shines with its visual design capabilities, which enhance usability and pipeline troubleshooting. Users find it efficient for debugging and appreciate the graphical interface for a comprehensive system overview, making it easier to integrate with microservices. Its key functionalities include managing event grids and API integrations for optimized workflows.
What are the key features of AWS Step Functions?
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Data Management Pipelines: Build and manage tasks like data validation and database writing.
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Parallel ETL Jobs: Execute multiple ETL jobs in parallel for efficiency.
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Microservices Coordination: Streamline microservices workflows.
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Visualization Tool: An intuitive visual interface for easy pipeline creation and troubleshooting.
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Event Grid Management: Handle events effectively from event grids.
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API Integration: Seamlessly integrate APIs for more efficient workflows.
What benefits should users look for in AWS Step Functions reviews?
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Ease of Use: Simple to navigate and implement quickly for rapid deployment.
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Efficient Debugging: Identify and fix issues swiftly to maintain smooth operations.
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System Overview: Clear visual representation of workflows boosts transparency.
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Usability: The graphical interface enhances user experience and efficiency.
In industries like finance, healthcare, and e-commerce, AWS Step Functions is employed to automate complex workflows, manage large-scale data processing tasks, and enable real-time data integration. Specifically, industries benefit from its ability to validate data, automate backups, and coordinate various microservices, ensuring robust and reliable operations. Companies look for better pricing, data limits, better IDE integration, and improved data transformation features. Enhanced visibility into executions and support for third-party tools are sought, along with seamless credentials access and more dynamic coding approaches.
