DEV Community

sngvfx
sngvfx

Posted on

Apache Airflow - Steps by steps

Airflow logo

Apache Airflow is an open-source platform for managing and scheduling data pipelines. It is commonly used in data engineering and data science to orchestrate and automate complex workflows, such as data ingestion, data transformation, and data analysis.

Here are the steps to build an Apache Airflow pipeline:

  • Install Apache Airflow: To use Apache Airflow, you need to install it first. You can install Apache Airflow either using pip or by downloading the source code and installing it manually.


  • Set up a database: Apache Airflow uses a database to store its metadata, such as the list of tasks, their dependencies, and their execution history. You can use either a built-in database (such as SQLite) or a separate database service (such as MySQL or PostgreSQL).


  • Define the pipeline: A pipeline in Apache Airflow is a directed acyclic graph (DAG) of tasks that need to be executed. To define a pipeline, you need to create a Python script and define a DAG object in it. Within the DAG, you can define individual tasks and their dependencies.


bashoperator

  • Create tasks: Tasks in Apache Airflow are represented by Operators, which are classes that define the behavior of a task. There are various types of operators available in Apache Airflow, such as BashOperator for executing a Bash command, PythonOperator for executing a Python function, and others.


  • Set up the execution schedule: To run a pipeline, you need to specify when and how often the pipeline should be executed. This can be done by setting the start_date and schedule_interval parameters of the DAG object.


architecture

  • Test the pipeline: Before deploying the pipeline, it is a good idea to test it locally to make sure it is working as expected. You can do this by starting the Apache Airflow web server and running the pipeline in the web UI.


  • Deploy the pipeline: Once you have tested the pipeline and are satisfied with the results, you can deploy it to the Apache Airflow environment. This can be done by committing the DAG Python script to a version control system and pushing it to the Apache Airflow environment.


  • Monitor and maintain the pipeline: After deploying the pipeline, you need to monitor it to make sure it is running as expected. You can use the Apache Airflow web UI or the command-line interface to view the status of the pipeline and troubleshoot any issues that may arise. You should also regularly maintain the pipeline by updating it as needed and cleaning up old data to keep it running efficiently.

Top comments (0)