Scenario: Your team is designing a complex data pipeline that involves multiple tasks with dependencies. Which workflow orchestration tool would you recommend, and why?

  • AWS Glue - for its serverless ETL capabilities
  • Apache Airflow - for its DAG (Directed Acyclic Graph) based architecture allowing complex task dependencies and scheduling
  • Apache Spark - for its powerful in-memory processing capabilities
  • Microsoft Azure Data Factory - for its integration with other Azure services
Apache Airflow would be recommended due to its DAG-based architecture, which enables the definition of complex workflows with dependencies between tasks. It provides a flexible and scalable solution for orchestrating data pipelines, allowing for easy scheduling, monitoring, and management of workflows. Additionally, Airflow offers a rich set of features such as task retries, logging, and extensibility through custom operators and hooks.

________ analysis assesses the consistency and correctness of data values within a dataset.

  • Data cleansing
  • Data integration
  • Data profiling
  • Data validation
Data profiling analysis involves examining the quality and characteristics of data within a dataset. It assesses various aspects such as consistency, correctness, completeness, and uniqueness of data values. Through data profiling, data engineers can identify anomalies, errors, or inconsistencies in the dataset, which is crucial for ensuring data quality and reliability in subsequent processes like cleansing and integration.

In Kafka, the ________ is responsible for storing the committed offsets of the consumers.

  • Broker
  • Consumer
  • Producer
  • Zookeeper
In Kafka, Zookeeper is responsible for storing the committed offsets of the consumers. Zookeeper manages various aspects of Kafka's distributed system, including coordination and metadata management.

Scenario: A project requires handling complex and frequently changing business requirements. How would you approach the design decisions regarding normalization and denormalization in this scenario?

  • Apply strict normalization to ensure data consistency and avoid redundancy
  • Employ a hybrid approach, combining aspects of normalization and denormalization as needed
  • Focus on denormalization to optimize query performance and adapt quickly to changing requirements
  • Prioritize normalization to maintain data integrity and flexibility, adjusting as business requirements evolve
In a project with complex and frequently changing business requirements, a hybrid approach combining elements of both normalization and denormalization is often the most effective. This allows for maintaining data integrity and flexibility while also optimizing query performance and adapting to evolving business needs.

What is the primary purpose of using data modeling tools like ERWin or Visio?

  • To design database schemas and visualize data structures
  • To execute SQL queries
  • To optimize database performance
  • To perform data analysis and generate reports
The primary purpose of using data modeling tools like ERWin or Visio is to design database schemas and visualize data structures. These tools provide a graphical interface for creating and modifying database designs, enabling data engineers to efficiently plan and organize their database systems.

Which normal form is considered the most basic form of normalization?

  • Boyce-Codd Normal Form (BCNF)
  • First Normal Form (1NF)
  • Second Normal Form (2NF)
  • Third Normal Form (3NF)
The First Normal Form (1NF) is considered the most basic form of normalization, ensuring that each attribute in a table contains atomic values, without repeating groups or nested structures.

What are some common challenges in implementing a data governance framework?

  • Lack of organizational buy-in, Data silos, Compliance requirements, Cultural resistance
  • Data duplication, Lack of data quality, Data security concerns, Rapid technological changes
  • Data architecture complexity, Resource constraints, Lack of executive sponsorship, Data governance tools limitations
  • Data privacy concerns, Inadequate training, Data integration difficulties, Lack of industry standards
Implementing a data governance framework can be challenging due to various factors. Common challenges include a lack of organizational buy-in, which may lead to resistance from different departments. Data silos hinder collaboration and data sharing across the organization. Compliance requirements impose additional constraints on data handling practices. Cultural resistance to change can slow down the adoption of governance policies and procedures. Addressing these challenges requires strategic planning, effective communication, and collaboration across different stakeholders.

How does Talend facilitate data quality and governance in ETL processes?

  • Data profiling and cleansing, Metadata management, Role-based access control
  • Low-latency data processing, Automated data lineage tracking, Integrated machine learning algorithms
  • Real-time data replication, No-code data transformation, Manual data validation workflows
  • Stream processing and analytics, Schema evolution, Limited data integration capabilities
Talend provides robust features for ensuring data quality and governance in ETL processes. This includes capabilities such as data profiling and cleansing to identify and correct inconsistencies, metadata management for organizing and tracking data assets, and role-based access control to enforce security policies.

In batch processing, ________ are used to control the execution of tasks and manage dependencies.

  • Job managers
  • Resource allocators
  • Task orchestrators
  • Workflow schedulers
Workflow schedulers play a vital role in orchestrating batch processing workflows by coordinating the execution of individual tasks, managing task dependencies, and allocating computing resources efficiently. These schedulers help streamline the execution of complex data processing pipelines, ensure task sequencing, and optimize resource utilization for improved performance and scalability in batch processing environments.

What is eventual consistency in distributed databases?

  • A consistency model where all nodes have the same data simultaneously
  • A consistency model where data may be inconsistent temporarily
  • A guarantee that updates propagate instantly across all nodes
  • A state where data becomes consistent after a predetermined delay
Eventual consistency in distributed databases is a consistency model where data may be inconsistent temporarily but will eventually converge to a consistent state across all nodes without intervention. It allows for updates to propagate asynchronously, accommodating network partitions, latency, and concurrent modifications while maintaining system availability and performance. While eventual consistency prioritizes system responsiveness and fault tolerance, applications must handle potential inconsistencies during the convergence period.

________ is a data loading strategy where data is continuously loaded into the target system in real-time as it becomes available.

  • Batch
  • Incremental
  • Parallel
  • Streaming
Streaming is a data loading strategy where data is continuously loaded into the target system in real-time as it becomes available, enabling organizations to process and analyze data as it flows, facilitating real-time decision-making and insights.

Which regulatory compliance is often addressed through data governance frameworks?

  • General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
  • Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
  • Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS)
  • Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX)
Data governance frameworks often address regulatory compliance such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). GDPR imposes strict requirements on the collection, storage, and processing of personal data, necessitating organizations to implement robust data governance practices to ensure compliance and mitigate risks associated with data privacy violations.