Data ingestion is the process of importing, transferring, loading, and processing data from a source (or many sources) into a storage system, such as a data warehouse or database. It’s important because it allows an entity to take data from multiple sources and consolidate it into one location, where it can then be analyzed and used to make decisions.
Before data can be ingested, the user must find what source the data is being taken from. Then, the data can be ingested in either batches (appropriate when the user does not need the data to be available immediately) or in real-time (used when the user needs data to be available as it comes in). After that, the data is transformed into a format that makes it suitable for analysis and then is loaded into the target storage system.
By implementing effective data ingestion techniques, businesses can ensure their data is accurate, timely, relevant, and stored in a place that is easy to access.