Databricks Data Engineer

Associate(By Vijay Bhaskar Reddy)

The content is from databricks exam syllabus:
https://www.databricks.com/sites/default/files/2024-05/databricks-certified-data-engineer-
associate-exam-guide.pdf

Databricks Data Engineer Associate(By Vijay Bhaskar Reddy) 1

 1. Databricks Lakehouse Platform – 24%

Databricks Data Engineer Associate(By Vijay Bhaskar Reddy) 2

 2. ELT With Spark SQL and Python – 29%

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 3. Incremental Data Processing – 22%

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Databricks Data Engineer Associate(By Vijay Bhaskar Reddy) 5
 4. Production Pipelines – 16%

5. Data Governance – 9%

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 Section 1: Databricks Lakehouse Platform (24%)

1.Describe the relationship between the data lakehouse and the data warehouse.

The relationship between a data lakehouse and a data warehouse is quite complementary,
as they each serve distinct but interconnected roles in data management and analytics

Data Warehouse
Purpose: Designed for high-performance analytics and real-time insights.

Data Type: Stores processed, structured data.

Schema: Uses a "schema-on-write" approach, meaning data is structured before being

stored.

Users: Typically used by business analysts and professionals who need to generate
reports and perform business intelligence tasks.

Governance: Strong data governance and rigorous structure make it easier to maintain.

Data Lakehouse
Purpose: Combines the flexible storage of a data lake with the high-performance
analytics of a data warehouse.

Data Type: Can store data in any format—structured, semi-structured, or unstructured.

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 Schema: Uses a "schema-on-read" approach, allowing for more flexibility as data is
structured when read.

Users: Ideal for data scientists and engineers working on machine learning, AI, and
data science projects.

Governance: Requires robust governance to prevent data chaos, but offers the
flexibility to handle diverse data types.

Relationship
Integration: Data lakehouses can integrate with data warehouses to provide a unified
data management solution. Raw data can be stored in the lakehouse and then
processed and moved to the warehouse for specific analytics tasks.

Flexibility and Performance: While data warehouses are optimized for performance
with structured data, data lakehouses offer the flexibility to handle various data types
and support advanced analytics and machine learning

data lakehouse can be seen as an evolution that bridges the gap between the raw data
storage capabilities of a data lake and the structured, high-performance analytics of a data
warehouse

2.Identify the improvement in data quality in the data lakehouse over the data lake.

The data lakehouse architecture offers several improvements in data quality over
traditional data lakes:

1. Structured Data Management: Data lakehouses integrate the structured data

management capabilities of data warehouses, ensuring that data is organized and
easily accessible. This contrasts with data lakes, which often store raw, unstructured
data that can be difficult to manage and query.

2. Data Governance and Compliance: Data lakehouses provide robust data governance
frameworks, which help maintain data quality by enforcing policies and standards. This
is crucial for compliance with regulations and for ensuring data integrity.

3. Schema Enforcement: While data lakes use a "schema-on-read" approach, data

lakehouses can enforce schemas at both write and read times. This ensures that data
conforms to predefined structures, reducing errors and inconsistencies.

4. Data Lineage and Auditing: Data lakehouses offer better tools for tracking data lineage
and auditing changes. This transparency helps in identifying and correcting data quality
issues more efficiently.

5. Integrated Data Quality Tools: Many data lakehouse platforms come with built-in data
quality tools that automate the detection and correction of data anomalies. These tools
help maintain high data quality standards across the data lifecycle.

Overall, the data lakehouse architecture enhances data quality by combining the flexibility
of data lakes with the structured, governed approach of data warehouses. This hybrid

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 model ensures that data is not only stored efficiently but also remains accurate,
consistent, and reliable.

3.Compare and contrast silver and gold tables, which workloads will use a bronze table as a
source, which workloads will use a gold table as a source.
Comparison of Bronze, Silver, and Gold Tables

Bronze Tables:

Purpose: Store raw, unprocessed data directly from various sources.

Data Quality: Data is in its original format, with minimal to no transformation.

Usage: Initial data ingestion and archiving.

Users: Data engineers and data scientists for preliminary data exploration and
processing.

Silver Tables:

Purpose: Store cleansed and conformed data.

Data Quality: Data is validated, deduplicated, and transformed to a certain extent.

Usage: Intermediate layer for further processing and analytics.

Users: Data engineers, data analysts, and data scientists for more refined datasets.

Gold Tables:

Purpose: Store enriched and aggregated data.

Data Quality: Data is highly processed, often aggregated, and ready for high-
performance analytics.

Usage: Final layer for business intelligence, reporting, and advanced analytics.

Users: Business analysts, BI developers, executives, and decision-makers for

generating insights and making data-driven decisions.

Workloads Using Bronze Tables as a Source

Data Ingestion: Initial data loading from external sources like cloud storage, Kafka, or
databases.

Data Archiving: Maintaining historical records and raw data for compliance and audit
purposes.

Preliminary Data Processing: Basic transformations and validations before moving data to
the silver layer.

Workloads Using Gold Tables as a Source

Business Intelligence (BI): Generating dashboards, reports, and visualizations for business
insights.

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 Advanced Analytics: Performing complex queries, predictive analytics, and machine
learning model training.

Operational Reporting: Real-time and batch reporting for operational decision-making.

By understanding the roles and uses of these different table layers, organizations can
effectively manage their data lifecycle, ensuring data quality and optimizing performance for
various analytical workloads.

4.Identify elements of the Databricks Platform Architecture, such as what is located in the
data plane versus the control plane and what resides in the customer’s cloud account

The Databricks Platform Architecture is divided into two main components: the control
plane and the data plane. Here's a detailed breakdown of each

Control Plane
The control plane includes the backend services that Databricks manages within its own
account. These services are responsible for:

Authentication and Authorization: Managing user access and security.

Job Scheduling: Orchestrating and scheduling jobs.

Web Application: The Databricks workspace interface.

REST APIs: Providing programmatic access to Databricks features.

Data Plane
The data plane is where your data is processed and resides within your cloud account. It
includes:

Compute Resources: Virtual machines (VMs) or clusters that run your data processing
tasks.

Storage: Data stored in your cloud storage (e.g., AWS S3, Azure Blob Storage, Google
Cloud Storage).

Customer’s Cloud Account

In the customer’s cloud account, the following elements are present:

Compute Resources: Managed within the customer’s virtual network (VNet) or Virtual
Private Cloud (VPC).

Storage: Data stored in the customer’s cloud storage buckets.

Networking: Network configurations and security groups that control access to the
compute resources.

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 while Databricks manages the control plane, the data plane remains within the customer’s
cloud account, providing better control over data and resources

5.Differentiate between all-purpose clusters and jobs clusters.

Certainly! Here's a comparison between all-purpose clusters and jobs clusters in Databricks:

All-Purpose Clusters
Use Case: Ideal for interactive data analysis, development, and collaboration.

Lifespan: These clusters can be manually started and stopped. They remain active until
manually terminated or until they auto-terminate due to inactivity.

Access: Multiple users can share these clusters, making them suitable for collaborative
work.

Cost: Typically more expensive as they are designed to be always available for interactive
use.

Configuration: Can be configured through the UI, CLI, or REST API.

Jobs Clusters
Use Case: Designed for running automated jobs and workflows.

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 Lifespan: These clusters are ephemeral; they are created when a job starts and terminated
automatically once the job completes.

Access: Dedicated to a single job run, ensuring isolation and resource efficiency.

Cost: Generally more cost-effective as they only run for the duration of the job.

Configuration: Created and managed by the Databricks job scheduler.

6.Identify how cluster software is versioned using the Databricks Runtime.

Databricks Runtime versions the cluster software to ensure compatibility, performance, and
security. Here's how it works:

Databricks Runtime Versions

Versioning: Each Databricks Runtime version is identified by a unique version number (e.g.,
10.4 LTS, 11.3, 12.2).

Variants: There are different variants for specific use cases, such as Databricks Runtime
for Machine Learning.

Release Notes: Each version comes with detailed release notes that include new features,
improvements, and bug fixes.

Long-Term Support (LTS)

LTS Versions: These versions are supported for an extended period, typically three years,
providing stability for long-term projects.

Support Lifecycle: Regular updates and maintenance releases are provided to ensure
continued reliability and security

7.Identify how clusters can be filtered to view those that are accessible by the user

To filter clusters in Databricks to view those that are accessible by a specific user, you can use
the following methods:

Using the Databricks UI

1. Navigate to the Clusters Page: Go to the Clusters section in the Databricks workspace.

2. Filter by Permissions: Use the filter options to display clusters based on your access
permissions. You can filter clusters where you have specific permissions like "Can Attach
To," "Can Restart," or "Can Manage."

8.Describe how clusters are terminated and the impact of terminating a cluster.

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 Cluster Termination in Databricks
Cluster termination can occur either manually or automatically. Here’s how it works and its
impact:

How Clusters are Terminated

1. Manual Termination:

User-Initiated: Users can manually terminate a cluster via the Databricks UI, CLI, or
API.

Immediate Effect: The cluster stops running immediately, and all associated resources
are released.

2. Automatic Termination:

Auto-Termination Settings: Clusters can be configured to auto-terminate after a

specified period of inactivity.

Job Completion: Job clusters automatically terminate once the job completes.

Impact of Terminating a Cluster

1. Resource Release:

Compute Resources: All virtual machines (VMs) and other compute resources are
deallocated, stopping any ongoing processes.

Cost Savings: Reduces costs by stopping charges for compute resources and
Databricks Units (DBUs).

2. Data and State:

Data Persistence: Data stored in external storage (e.g., S3, Azure Blob Storage)
remains unaffected.

Ephemeral Data: Any data stored on the cluster’s local storage is lost.

3. Running Processes:

Job Interruption: Any running jobs or processes are terminated, which can lead to
incomplete tasks.

Session Termination: Active user sessions are closed, and any unsaved work is lost.

9.Identify a scenario in which restarting the cluster will be useful.

Restarting a cluster can be particularly useful in several scenarios. Here’s one common
example:

Scenario: Resolving Performance Issues

Context: Over time, a cluster might experience performance degradation due to memory leaks,
resource contention, or other issues.

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 Action: Restarting the cluster can help clear out any accumulated issues, refresh the
environment, and restore optimal performance.
Impact:

Resource Cleanup: Frees up memory and other resources that might be tied up by long-
running processes.

Configuration Updates: Applies any configuration changes or updates that were made but
not yet applied.

Job Stability: Improves the stability and performance of ongoing and future jobs.

Example
Imagine you have a cluster running multiple Spark jobs, and you notice that the jobs are taking
longer to complete than usual. By restarting the cluster, you can:

Clear any residual data or processes that might be causing slowdowns.

Ensure that the cluster is running with the latest configurations and updates.

Provide a fresh environment for your jobs, potentially improving their execution time and
reliability.

10.Describe how to use multiple languages within the same notebook.

In Databricks notebooks, you can seamlessly use multiple languages such as Python, SQL,
Scala, and R within the same notebook. Here’s how you can do it:

Using Multiple Languages in Databricks Notebooks

1. Language Magic Commands:

Each cell in a Databricks notebook can be designated to a specific language using

magic commands.

The magic command for each language is:

Python: %python

SQL: %sql

Scala: %scala

R: %r

11.Identify how to run one notebook from within another notebook.

Using the %run Command:

The %run command allows you to include another notebook within a notebook. This is
useful for modularizing your code.

Example:

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 %run "./path/to/your/notebook"

This command runs the entire notebook inline, and any functions or variables defined in
the called notebook become available in the calling notebook.

Using dbutils.notebook.run() :

The dbutils.notebook.run() function is part of the Databricks Utilities and allows you to
run a notebook as a separate job.

Example:

result = dbutils.notebook.run("/path/to/your/notebook", timeout_seco

nds=60, arguments={"arg1": "value1"})

This method is useful for passing parameters to the notebook and handling return
values. It also allows for more complex workflows and dependencie

12.Identify how notebooks can be shared with others.

Sharing notebooks in Databricks is straightforward and can be done in a few different ways.
Here are the steps:

1. Share a Notebook:

Click the Share button at the top of the notebook.

In the Sharing dialog, you can select who to share the notebook with and what level of
access they have. You can choose from the following permission levels:

Can Read: Allows the user to view the notebook.

Can Run: Allows the user to run the notebook.

Can Edit: Allows the user to edit the notebook.

Can Manage: Allows the user to manage permissions and settings for the notebook.

2. Manage Notebook Permissions with Folders:

You can manage notebook permissions by adding the notebook to folders. Notebooks
in a folder inherit all permission settings of that folder. For example, if a user has Can
Run permission on a folder, they will have Can Run permission on all notebooks within
that folder.

3. Code Comments:

You can have discussions with collaborators using the comments feature. To add a
comment to code, highlight the code section and click the comment bubble icon. You

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 can then add your comment and click Comment. This is useful for collaborative
development and review

13.Describe how Databricks Repos enables CI/CD workflows in Databrick

Databricks Repos significantly enhances CI/CD (Continuous Integration/Continuous
Deployment) workflows by integrating with Git repositories and enabling seamless
collaboration and automation. Here’s how it works:

1. Version Control Integration:

Databricks Repos allows you to clone Git repositories into your Databricks workspace.
This integration ensures that your notebooks, libraries, and other files are version-
controlled, enabling collaborative development and tracking of changes.

2. Branching and Merging:

You can create branches for different features or tasks, work on them independently,
and merge them back into the main branch when ready. This helps in managing parallel
development and integrating changes smoothly.

3. Automated Testing and Deployment:

By integrating with CI/CD tools like GitHub Actions, Azure DevOps, or Jenkins, you can
automate the testing and deployment of your Databricks workflows. For example, you
can set up pipelines that automatically run tests on your notebooks and deploy them to
production environments upon successful completion.

4. Databricks Asset Bundles (DABs):

Databricks Asset Bundles enable programmatic management of Databricks workflows.

You can define your workflows in YAML files, validate them, and deploy them using the
Databricks CLI. This approach ensures consistency and repeatability in your
deployment processes.

5. Collaboration and Code Review:

With Git integration, team members can collaborate on the same project, review each
other's code, and provide feedback through pull requests. This fosters a collaborative
environment and ensures code quality.

By leveraging these features, Databricks Repos streamlines the development, testing, and
deployment processes, making it easier to maintain high-quality code and accelerate the
delivery of data engineering and data science projects.

14.Identify Git operations available via Databricks Repos.

Databricks Repos supports a variety of Git operations, enabling seamless integration with your
Git workflows. Here are some of the key Git operations you can perform:

1. Clone a Repository:

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 You can clone a remote Git repository into your Databricks workspace. This allows you
to work with the repository's contents directly within Databricks.

2. Branch Management:

Create a Branch: You can create new branches for feature development or other tasks.

Switch Branches: Easily switch between different branches to work on various parts of
your project.

Merge Branches: Merge changes from one branch into another, facilitating
collaborative development.

3. Commit and Push Changes:

Commit Changes: Save your changes to the local repository with a commit message.

Push Changes: Push your committed changes to the remote repository, ensuring your
work is backed up and shared with your team.

4. Pull Changes:

Pull Changes: Fetch and integrate changes from the remote repository into your local
branch. This keeps your local repository up-to-date with the latest changes from your
team.

5. Rebase and Resolve Conflicts:

Rebase: Rebase your branch on top of another branch to integrate changes smoothly.

Resolve Conflicts: Handle merge conflicts that arise during rebasing or merging,
ensuring a clean integration of changes.

6. View Diffs:

Visual Comparison: Compare differences between commits, branches, or the working

directory to understand changes and review code.

These operations make it easy to manage your code and collaborate with others directly within
Databricks

15.Identify limitations in Databricks Notebooks version control functionality relative to

Repos
Databricks Notebooks have some limitations in version control functionality compared to
Databricks Repos. Here are the key differences:

1. Granularity of Version Control:

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 Notebooks: Version control is limited to individual notebooks. You can track changes
and revert to previous versions, but this is done on a per-notebook basis.

Repos: Allows for version control at the repository level, enabling you to manage
multiple notebooks and other files together. This supports more complex project
structures and workflows.

2. Branching and Merging:

Notebooks: Do not support branching and merging. You cannot create branches for
different features or merge changes from different branches.

Repos: Fully supports Git branching and merging, allowing for parallel development and
integration of changes from multiple branches.

3. Collaboration:

Notebooks: Collaboration is limited to sharing individual notebooks. Multiple users can

edit a notebook, but there is no built-in mechanism for handling conflicts or reviewing
changes.

Repos: Facilitates collaboration through Git workflows, including pull requests, code
reviews, and conflict resolution.

4. Integration with CI/CD:

Notebooks: Limited integration with CI/CD pipelines. You can manually export
notebooks and integrate them into CI/CD workflows, but this process is not seamless.

Repos: Designed to integrate with CI/CD tools, enabling automated testing,

deployment, and continuous integration directly from the repository.

5. File Types and Structure:

Notebooks: Primarily focused on notebook files. Managing other file types (e.g.,
scripts, data files) within the same project can be cumbersome.

Repos: Supports a variety of file types and allows you to organize them within a single
repository, making it easier to manage complex projects.

These limitations highlight the advantages of using Databricks Repos for more advanced
version control and collaboration needs.

Section 2: ELT with Apache Spark(29%)

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 16.Extract data from a single file and from a directory of files
To extract data from a single file or a directory of files in Databricks, you can use SQL or
PySpark. Here are some examples to help you get started:

Extracting Data from a Single File

You can use SQL to query a single file directly. For example, if you have a JSON file, you
can use:

SELECT * FROM json.`/path/to/your/file.json`

Make sure to use backticks around the file path.

Extracting Data from a Directory of Files

If you want to query all files in a directory, you can specify the directory path. For example,
for JSON files

SELECT * FROM json.`/path/to/your/directory/`

Using PySpark
You can also use PySpark to read data from files. Here’s how you can do it:

Single File

df = spark.read.format("json").load("/path/to/your/file.json")
df.show()

Directory of Files

df = spark.read.format("json").load("/path/to/your/directory/")
df.show()

These methods allow you to easily extract and work with data stored in various file formats on
Databricks

17.Identify the prefix included after the FROM keyword as the data type

The prefix included after the FROM keyword indicates the data type or format of the files being
queried. Here are the prefixes and their corresponding data types:

json : This prefix indicates that the data is in JSON format.

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 csv : This prefix would indicate that the data is in CSV format.

parquet : This prefix would indicate that the data is in Parquet format.

For example:

SELECT * FROM json.`/path/to/your/file.json`

In this SQL query, json is the prefix that specifies the data type of the file being queried.

18.Create a view, a temporary view, and a CTE as a reference to a file

Creating a View
A view is a saved query that you can reference like a table. Here’s how to create a view:

CREATE VIEW my_view AS

SELECT * FROM json.`/path/to/your/file.json`;

Creating a Temporary View

A temporary view is similar to a regular view but is only available within the current session.
Here’s how to create a temporary view:

CREATE OR REPLACE TEMP VIEW my_temp_view AS

SELECT * FROM json.`/path/to/your/file.json`;

Creating a Common Table Expression (CTE)

A CTE is a temporary result set that you can reference within a SELECT , INSERT , UPDATE ,
or DELETE statement. Here’s how to create a CTE:

WITH my_cte AS (
SELECT * FROM json.`/path/to/your/file.json`
)
SELECT * FROM my_cte;

These examples use JSON files, but you can replace json with other formats
like csv or parquet depending on your data type

19.Identify that tables from external sources are not Delta Lake tables.

To identify that tables from external sources are not Delta Lake tables in Databricks, you
can look for specific characteristics that distinguish Delta Lake tables from other types of

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 tables. Here are some key points:

1. Metadata and Log Files: Delta Lake tables have a _delta_log directory that stores
transaction logs. If this directory is absent, the table is not a Delta Lake table.

2. Table Description: You can use the DESCRIBE FORMATTED command to check the table's
metadata. Delta Lake tables will have specific metadata entries related to Delta Lake.

3. Programmatic Check: You can use a Python function in a Databricks notebook to

programmatically determine if a table is a Delta table. Here’s an example:

def is_delta_table(table_name: str) -> bool:

desc_table = spark.sql(f"DESCRIBE FORMATTED {table_name}").colle
ct()
location = [row[1] for row in desc_table if row[0] == 'Locatio
n'][0]
try:
dbutils.fs.ls(f"{location}/_delta_log")
return True
except Exception:
return False

result = is_delta_table("your_table_name")
if result:
print("Yes, it is a Delta table.")
else:
print("No, it is not a Delta table.")

4. Performance Guarantees: Tables from external sources do not provide the same
performance guarantees as Delta Lake tables. Delta Lake tables offer ACID transactions,
scalable metadata handling, and unification of streaming and batch data processing

20.Create a table from a JDBC connection and from an external CSV file

you can create a table from a JDBC connection and from an external CSV file in Databricks:

Creating a Table from a JDBC Connection

You can use the following steps to create a table from a JDBC connection:

1. Set up the JDBC connection:

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 jdbc_url = "jdbc:your_database_url"
jdbc_table = "your_table_name"
jdbc_properties = {
"user": "your_username",
"password": "your_password",
"driver": "your_jdbc_driver"
}

2. Read data from the JDBC source:

df = spark.read.jdbc(url=jdbc_url, table=jdbc_table, properties=j

dbc_properties)

3. Create a table from the DataFrame:

df.write.saveAsTable("your_databricks_table_name")

Creating a Table from an External CSV File

You can use the following steps to create a table from an external CSV file:

1. Read the CSV file into a DataFrame:

df = spark.read.format("csv").option("header", "true").load("/pat
h/to/your/file.csv")

2. Create a table from the DataFrame:

df.write.saveAsTable("your_databricks_table_name")

Alternatively, you can use SQL to create a table directly from a CSV file:

CREATE TABLE your_table_name

USING csv
OPTIONS (path "/path/to/your/file.csv", header "true");

These methods will help you create tables from both JDBC connections and external CSV
files in databricks

21.Identify how the count_if function and the count where x is null can be used

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 you can use the count_if function and the count function with a condition where a column
is NULL in Databricks:

Using count_if Function

The count_if function counts the number of true values for a given Boolean expression. Here
are some examples:

1. Count even numbers in a column:

SELECT count_if(col % 2 = 0) FROM your_table;

2. Count non-null values in a column:

SELECT count_if(col IS NOT NULL) FROM your_table;

3. Count distinct even numbers in a column:

SELECT count_if(DISTINCT col % 2 = 0) FROM your_table;

Using count with a Condition where x is NULL

To count the number of rows where a specific column is NULL , you can use the count function
with a CASE statement or a FILTER clause:

1. Using CASE statement:

SELECT count(CASE WHEN col IS NULL THEN 1 END) FROM your_table;

2. Using FILTER clause:

SELECT count(*) FILTER (WHERE col IS NULL) FROM your_table;

These methods allow you to count specific conditions within your data effectively

22.Identify how the count(row) skips NULL values.

The count function in SQL, including Databricks SQL, skips NULL values when counting rows for
a specific column. Here’s how it works:

How count Skips NULL Values

1. Counting Non-NULL Values:

When you use count(column_name) , it counts only the rows where column_name is not NULL .

Example:This query will count all rows where col is not NULL .

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 SELECT count(col) FROM your_table;

2. Counting All Rows:

When you use count(*) or count(1) , it counts all rows, including those with NULL values
in any column.

Example:This query will count all rows in the table, regardless of NULL values.

SELECT count(*) FROM your_table;

Example
Consider a table with the following data:

id value

1 10

2 NULL

3 20

4 NULL

Using count(value) :

SELECT count(value) FROM your_table;

This will return 2 because there are two non- NULL values in the value column.

Using count(*) :

SELECT count(*) FROM your_table;

This will return 4 because it counts all rows, including those with NULL values in
the value column

23.Deduplicate rows from an existing Delta Lake table.

To deduplicate rows from an existing Delta Lake table in Databricks, you can use PySpark or
SQL. Here are the steps for both methods

Using PySpark
1. Load the Delta Table into a DataFrame:

df = spark.table("your_table_name")

2. Drop Duplicate Rows:

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 df_deduped = df.dropDuplicates()

3. Overwrite the Original Table with the Deduplicated DataFrame:

df_deduped.write.format("delta").mode("overwrite").saveAsTable("your
_table_name")

Using SQL
1. Create a Temporary View with Distinct Rows:

CREATE OR REPLACE TEMP VIEW deduped_view AS

SELECT DISTINCT * FROM your_table_name;

2. Overwrite the Existing Delta Table with the Distinct Rows:

INSERT OVERWRITE TABLE your_table_name

SELECT * FROM deduped_view;

Example
Here’s a complete example using PySpark:

# Load the Delta table

df = spark.table("your_table_name")

# Drop duplicates
df_deduped = df.dropDuplicates()

# Overwrite the original table

df_deduped.write.format("delta").mode("overwrite").saveAsTable("your_ta
ble_name")

And using SQL:

-- Create a temporary view with distinct rows

CREATE OR REPLACE TEMP VIEW deduped_view AS
SELECT DISTINCT * FROM your_table_name;

-- Overwrite the existing Delta table with the distinct rows

INSERT OVERWRITE TABLE your_table_name
SELECT * FROM deduped_view;

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 These methods will help you remove duplicate rows from your Delta Lake table efficiently

24.Create a new table from an existing table while removing duplicate rows.
To create a new table from an existing table while removing duplicate rows in Databricks, you
can use either PySpark or SQL. Here are the steps for both methods:

Using PySpark
1. Load the Existing Table into a DataFrame:

df = spark.table("existing_table_name")

2. Drop Duplicate Rows:

df_deduped = df.dropDuplicates()

3. Create a New Table from the Deduplicated DataFrame:

df_deduped.write.format("delta").saveAsTable("new_table_name")

Using SQL
1. Create a Temporary View with Distinct Rows:

CREATE OR REPLACE TEMP VIEW deduped_view AS

SELECT DISTINCT * FROM existing_table_name;

2. Create a New Table from the Temporary View:

CREATE TABLE new_table_name AS

SELECT * FROM deduped_view;

Example
Here’s a complete example using PySpark:

# Load the existing table

df = spark.table("existing_table_name")

# Drop duplicates
df_deduped = df.dropDuplicates()

Databricks Data Engineer Associate(By Vijay Bhaskar Reddy) 26

 # Create a new table from the deduplicated DataFrame
df_deduped.write.format("delta").saveAsTable("new_table_name")

And using SQL:

-- Create a temporary view with distinct rows

CREATE OR REPLACE TEMP VIEW deduped_view AS
SELECT DISTINCT * FROM existing_table_name;

-- Create a new table from the temporary view

CREATE TABLE new_table_name AS
SELECT * FROM deduped_view;

These methods will help you create a new table from an existing one while ensuring that
duplicate rows are removed

25.Deduplicate a row based on specific column

To deduplicate rows based on a specific column in Databricks, you can use PySpark or SQL.
Here’s how you can do it:

Using PySpark
1. Load the Existing Table into a DataFrame:

df = spark.table("existing_table_name")

2. Drop Duplicate Rows Based on a Specific Column:

df_deduped = df.dropDuplicates(["specific_column"])

3. Create a New Table or Overwrite the Existing Table:

df_deduped.write.format("delta").mode("overwrite").saveAsTable("exis
ting_table_name")

Using SQL
1. Create a Temporary View with Distinct Rows Based on a Specific Column:

CREATE OR REPLACE TEMP VIEW deduped_view AS

SELECT DISTINCT * FROM existing_table_name
WHERE specific_column IS NOT NULL;

2. Overwrite the Existing Table with the Distinct Rows:

Databricks Data Engineer Associate(By Vijay Bhaskar Reddy) 27

 INSERT OVERWRITE TABLE existing_table_name
SELECT * FROM deduped_view;

Example
Here’s a complete example using PySpark:

# Load the existing table

df = spark.table("existing_table_name")

# Drop duplicates based on a specific column

df_deduped = df.dropDuplicates(["specific_column"])

# Overwrite the original table with the deduplicated DataFrame

df_deduped.write.format("delta").mode("overwrite").saveAsTable("existin
g_table_name")

And using SQL:

-- Create a temporary view with distinct rows based on a specific colum

n
CREATE OR REPLACE TEMP VIEW deduped_view AS
SELECT DISTINCT * FROM existing_table_name
WHERE specific_column IS NOT NULL;

-- Overwrite the existing table with the distinct rows

INSERT OVERWRITE TABLE existing_table_name
SELECT * FROM deduped_view;

These methods will help you remove duplicate rows based on a specific column efficiently

26. Validate that the primary key is unique across all rows.

To validate that the primary key is unique across all rows in a Databricks Delta table using
PySpark, you can use the following code:

from pyspark.sql import SparkSession

from pyspark.sql.functions import col, count

# Initialize Spark session

spark = SparkSession.builder.appName("PrimaryKeyValidation").getOrCreate()

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 # Load your Delta table
df = spark.read.format("delta").load("path_to_your_delta_table")

# Group by the primary key column and count occurrences

duplicate_keys = df.groupBy("primary_key_column").agg(count("*").alias("co
.filter(col("count") > 1)

# Show duplicate keys if any

duplicate_keys.show()

To validate that the primary key is unique across all rows in a database table, you can use a
SQL query. Here's a simple way to check for duplicates:

SELECT primary_key_column, COUNT(*)

FROM table_name
GROUP BY primary_key_column
HAVING COUNT(*) > 1;

27.Validate that a field is associated with just one unique value in another field.
To validate that a field is associated with just one unique value in another field using PySpark,
you can follow these steps:

1. Group by the first field.

2. Count the distinct values of the second field.

3. Filter the results to find any groups with more than one distinct value.

Here's an example in PySpark:

from pyspark.sql import SparkSession

from pyspark.sql.functions import col, countDistinct

# Initialize Spark session

spark = SparkSession.builder.appName("FieldAssociationValidation").getO
rCreate()

# Load your Delta table

df = spark.read.format("delta").load("path_to_your_delta_table")

# Group by the first field and count distinct values of the second fiel
d

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 validation_df = df.groupBy("field1").agg(countDistinct("field2").alias
("distinct_count")).filter(col("distinct_count") > 1)

# Show results if any

validation_df.show()

In this script:

Replace "field1" with the name of the field you want to check for unique associations.

Replace "field2" with the name of the field that should have unique values for each value
in "field1" .

Replace "path_to_your_delta_table" with the actual path to your Delta table.

This will show any instances where a value in field1 is associated with more than one unique
value in field2 .

28.Validate that a value is not present in a specific field

To validate that a specific value is not present in a particular field using PySpark, you can use
the following approach:

1. Filter the DataFrame to check for the presence of the value.

2. Count the number of rows that match the condition.

Here's an example:

from pyspark.sql import SparkSession

# Initialize Spark session

spark = SparkSession.builder.appName("ValueValidation").getOrCreate()

# Load your Delta table

df = spark.read.format("delta").load("path_to_your_delta_table")

# Define the value and field to check

value_to_check = "value_to_check"
field_to_check = "field_to_check"

# Filter the DataFrame to find rows with the specific value

filtered_df = df.filter(col(field_to_check) == value_to_check)

# Count the number of matching rows

count = filtered_df.count()

# Validate if the value is not present

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 if count == 0:
print(f"The value '{value_to_check}' is not present in the field
'{field_to_check}'.")
else:
print(f"The value '{value_to_check}' is present in the field '{fiel
d_to_check}' {count} times.")

In this script:

Replace "value_to_check" with the value you want to validate.

Replace "field_to_check" with the name of the field you want to check.

Replace "path_to_your_delta_table" with the actual path to your Delta table.

This will check if the specified value is present in the given field and print the result
accordingly.

29.Cast a column to a timestamp.

To cast a column to a timestamp in Databricks notebooks, you can use

the to_timestamp function or the cast function. Here are examples of both methods:

Using to_timestamp Function

The to_timestamp function converts a string expression to a timestamp using an optional format.

SELECT to_timestamp(column_name, 'yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss') AS new_column_n

ame
FROM table_name;

Using cast Function

The cast function can also be used to convert a string to a timestamp.

SELECT cast(column_name AS TIMESTAMP) AS new_column_name

FROM table_name;

Example in PySpark
If you're using PySpark, you can achieve the same with the following code:

from pyspark.sql.functions import to_timestamp

df = df.withColumn('new_column_name', to_timestamp(df['column_name'],
'yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss'))

These methods should help you convert your column to a timestamp format in Databricks

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 30.Extract calendar data from a timestamp.

To extract calendar data from a timestamp in Databricks, you can use the extract function. This
function allows you to retrieve specific parts of a timestamp, such as the year, month, day,
hour, minute, or second. Here are some examples:

Using SQL in Databricks

SELECT
extract(YEAR FROM timestamp_column) AS year,
extract(MONTH FROM timestamp_column) AS month,
extract(DAY FROM timestamp_column) AS day,
extract(HOUR FROM timestamp_column) AS hour,
extract(MINUTE FROM timestamp_column) AS minute,
extract(SECOND FROM timestamp_column) AS second
FROM
table_name;

Using PySpark
If you're working with PySpark, you can use the year , month , dayofmonth , hour , minute ,
and second functions from pyspark.sql.functions :

from pyspark.sql.functions import year, month, dayofmonth, hour, minut

e, second

df = df.withColumn('year', year(df['timestamp_column']))
.withColumn('month', month(df['timestamp_column']))
.withColumn('day', dayofmonth(df['timestamp_column']))
.withColumn('hour', hour(df['timestamp_column']))
.withColumn('minute', minute(df['timestamp_column']))
.withColumn('second', second(df['timestamp_column']))

These methods should help you extract the specific calendar data you need from your
timestamp column

31.Extract a specific pattern from an existing string column

To extract a specific pattern from an existing string column in Databricks, you can use
the regexp_extract function. This function allows you to use regular expressions to find and
extract patterns from strings. Here’s how you can do it:

Using SQL in Databricks

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 SELECT regexp_extract(column_name, 'your_regex_pattern', 1) AS extracte
d_pattern
FROM table_name;

column_name : The name of the column you want to extract the pattern from.

your_regex_pattern : The regular expression pattern you want to match.

1 : The group index of the pattern you want to extract. Use 0 to match the entire pattern.

Example
If you have a column with email addresses and you want to extract the domain part of the
email, you can use:

SELECT regexp_extract(email_column, '@([^\\s]+)', 1) AS domain

FROM users;

Using PySpark
In PySpark, you can achieve the same with the regexp_extract function
from pyspark.sql.functions :

from pyspark.sql.functions import regexp_extract

df = df.withColumn('extracted_pattern', regexp_extract(df['column_nam
e'], 'your_regex_pattern', 1))

Example
For extracting the domain from an email column:

df = df.withColumn('domain', regexp_extract(df['email_column'], '@([^

\\s]+)', 1))

These methods should help you extract specific patterns from your string columns in
Databricks

32.Utilize the dot syntax to extract nested data field

To extract nested data fields in Spark using dot syntax, you can follow these steps. This is
particularly useful when dealing with complex data types like structs in JSON or Parquet files.

Using PySpark
In PySpark, you can use dot notation to access nested fields directly. Here’s an example:

Databricks Data Engineer Associate(By Vijay Bhaskar Reddy) 33

 from pyspark.sql import SparkSession

# Initialize SparkSession
spark = SparkSession.builder.appName("NestedFieldsExample").getOrCreate
()

# Sample data with nested structure

data = [
("John", {"city": "New York", "state": "NY"}),
("Alice", {"city": "Los Angeles", "state": "CA"})
]

# Define schema
schema = "name STRING, address STRUCT<city: STRING, state: STRING>"

# Create DataFrame
df = spark.createDataFrame(data, schema)

# Show DataFrame
df.show(truncate=False)

# Select nested fields using dot notation

df.select("address.city", "address.state").show()

Using SQL in Databricks

If you are using SQL in Databricks, you can also use dot notation to access nested fields:

SELECT
address.city AS city,
address.state AS state
FROM
table_name;

Handling Columns with Dots in Their Names

If your column names contain dots and you need to reference them, you should use backticks
to escape the column names:

# Using backticks to escape column names with dots

df.select("`address.city`", "`address.state`").show()

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 These methods should help you efficiently extract nested fields in Spark

33.Identify the benefits of using array function

Using the array function in Databricks and Spark offers several benefits, especially when
dealing with complex data structures. Here are some key advantages:

1. Simplifies Data Manipulation

The array function allows you to group multiple values into a single array, making it easier to
handle and manipulate complex data. This is particularly useful when working with nested data
structures.

2. Enhanced Readability and Maintainability

By using arrays, you can make your code more readable and maintainable. Instead of
managing multiple columns separately, you can work with a single array column, which
simplifies your queries and transformations.

3. Efficient Data Processing

Arrays enable efficient data processing by allowing you to perform operations on entire
collections of elements at once. This can lead to performance improvements, especially when
combined with higher-order functions like transform , filter , and aggregate .

4. Flexibility in Data Modeling

Arrays provide flexibility in data modeling, allowing you to represent complex relationships and
hierarchies within your data. This can be particularly useful for applications that require
handling of multi-valued attributes or nested data.

5. Support for Higher-Order Functions

Databricks and Spark support higher-order functions that operate on arrays, such
as transform , filter , and aggregate . These functions allow you to apply custom logic to each
element of an array, enabling powerful and expressive data transformations

Example in PySpark
Here's a simple example of creating and using an array in PySpark:

from pyspark.sql import SparkSession

from pyspark.sql.functions import array, col

# Initialize SparkSession
spark = SparkSession.builder.appName("ArrayExample").getOrCreate()

# Sample data

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 data = [(1, "a"), (2, "b"), (3, "c")]

# Create DataFrame
df = spark.createDataFrame(data, ["id", "value"])

# Create an array column

df = df.withColumn("array_col", array(col("id"), col("value")))

# Show DataFrame
df.show(truncate=False)

This example demonstrates how to create an array column from existing columns, making it
easier to manage and process the data.

34.Parse JSON strings into structs.

To parse JSON strings into structs in Databricks, you can use the from_json function. This
function converts a JSON string into a struct (or other complex data types) based on a
specified schema. Here’s how you can do it:

Using SQL in Databricks

SELECT from_json(column_name, 'STRUCT<field1: STRING, field2: INT>') AS

parsed_column
FROM table_name;

Example
Suppose you have a JSON string column named json_column and you want to parse it into a
struct with fields name (string) and age (integer):

SELECT from_json(json_column, 'STRUCT<name: STRING, age: INT>') AS pars

ed_data
FROM table_name;

Using PySpark
In PySpark, you can achieve the same using the from_json function from pyspark.sql.functions :

from pyspark.sql import SparkSession

from pyspark.sql.functions import from_json
from pyspark.sql.types import StructType, StructField, StringType, Inte
gerType

# Initialize SparkSession

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 spark = SparkSession.builder.appName("ParseJSONExample").getOrCreate()

# Sample data
data = [("John", '{"name": "John", "age": 30}'), ("Alice", '{"name": "A
lice", "age": 25}')]

# Define schema
schema = StructType([
StructField("name", StringType(), True),
StructField("age", IntegerType(), True)
])

# Create DataFrame
df = spark.createDataFrame(data, ["id", "json_column"])

# Parse JSON column

df = df.withColumn("parsed_data", from_json(df["json_column"], schema))

# Show DataFrame
df.show(truncate=False)

Explanation
SQL: The from_json function takes the JSON string column and the schema definition as
arguments, converting the JSON string into a struct.

PySpark: The from_json function is used similarly, but you need to define the schema
using StructType and StructField .

35.Identify which result will be returned based on a join query.

The result of a join query in Databricks (or any SQL-based system) depends on the type of
join used and the data in the tables being joined. Here’s a brief overview of different join
types and the results they produce:

1. Inner Join
Returns only the rows that have matching values in both tables.

SELECT *
FROM table1
INNER JOIN table2
ON table1.id = table2.id;

Result: Rows where table1.id matches table2.id .

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 2. Left (Outer) Join
Returns all rows from the left table, and the matched rows from the right table. If no match is
found, NULL values are returned for columns from the right table.

SELECT *
FROM table1
LEFT JOIN table2
ON table1.id = table2.id;

Result: All rows from table1 , with matching rows from table2 or NULL if no match.

3. Right (Outer) Join

Returns all rows from the right table, and the matched rows from the left table. If no match is
found, NULL values are returned for columns from the left table.

SELECT *
FROM table1
RIGHT JOIN table2
ON table1.id = table2.id;

Result: All rows from table2 , with matching rows from table1 or NULL if no match.

4. Full (Outer) Join

Returns all rows when there is a match in either table. Rows without a match in one of the
tables will have NULLs for columns from that table.

SELECT *
FROM table1
FULL JOIN table2
ON table1.id = table2.id;

Result: All rows from both tables, with NULLs where there is no match.

5. Left Semi Join

Returns only the rows from the left table that have a match in the right table.

SELECT *
FROM table1
LEFT SEMI JOIN table2
ON table1.id = table2.id;

Result: Rows from table1 that have a matching row in table2 .

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 6. Left Anti Join
Returns only the rows from the left table that do not have a match in the right table.

SELECT *
FROM table1
LEFT ANTI JOIN table2
ON table1.id = table2.id;

Result: Rows from table1 that do not have a matching row in table2 .

7. Cross Join
Returns the Cartesian product of the two tables, i.e., all possible combinations of rows.

SELECT *
FROM table1
CROSS JOIN table2;

Result: Every row from table1 combined with every row from table2 .

Example Scenario
Suppose you have two tables, employees and departments :
employees:

id name dept_id

1 John 10

2 Alice 20

3 Bob 30

departments:

dept_id dept_name

10 HR

20 Engineering

40 Sales

Inner Join Example:

SELECT employees.name, departments.dept_name

FROM employees
INNER JOIN departments
ON employees.dept_id = departments.dept_id;

Databricks Data Engineer Associate(By Vijay Bhaskar Reddy) 39

 Result:

name dept_name

John HR

Alice Engineering

This query returns only the employees who have a matching department.

36.Identify a scenario to use the explode function versus the flatten function
The explode and flatten functions in Databricks serve different purposes and are used in
different scenarios. Here’s a detailed explanation of when to use each:

explode Function
The explode function is used to transform an array or map into a set of rows. Each element of
the array or each key-value pair of the map becomes a separate row. This is particularly useful
when you need to work with individual elements of an array or map as separate rows.

Scenario for explode

Suppose you have a DataFrame with a column containing arrays of values, and you want to
analyze each value individually. For example, you have a DataFrame with a column tags that
contains arrays of tags for different articles, and you want to count the occurrence of each tag.

Example:

from pyspark.sql import SparkSession

from pyspark.sql.functions import explode

# Initialize SparkSession
spark = SparkSession.builder.appName("ExplodeExample").getOrCreate()

# Sample data
data = [("Article1", ["tag1", "tag2", "tag3"]), ("Article2", ["tag2",
"tag3", "tag4"])]

# Create DataFrame
df = spark.createDataFrame(data, ["article", "tags"])

# Explode the tags column

df_exploded = df.withColumn("tag", explode(df["tags"]))

# Show the result

df_exploded.show()

Result:

Databricks Data Engineer Associate(By Vijay Bhaskar Reddy) 40

 +---------+------------+-----+
| article | tags | tag |
+---------+------------+-----+
| Article1| [tag1, tag2, tag3]| tag1|
| Article1| [tag1, tag2, tag3]| tag2|
| Article1| [tag1, tag2, tag3]| tag3|
| Article2| [tag2, tag3, tag4]| tag2|
| Article2| [tag2, tag3, tag4]| tag3|
| Article2| [tag2, tag3, tag4]| tag4|
+---------+------------+-----+

flatten Function
The flatten function is used to transform an array of arrays into a single array. This is useful
when you have nested arrays and you want to combine them into a single array.

Scenario for flatten

Suppose you have a DataFrame with a column containing nested arrays, and you want to
merge these nested arrays into a single array. For example, you have a DataFrame with a
column nested_tags that contains arrays of arrays of tags, and you want to create a single array
of tags for each row.

Example:

from pyspark.sql import SparkSession

from pyspark.sql.functions import flatten

# Initialize SparkSession
spark = SparkSession.builder.appName("FlattenExample").getOrCreate()

# Sample data
data = [("Article1", [["tag1", "tag2"], ["tag3"]]), ("Article2", [["tag
2", "tag3"], ["tag4"]])]

# Create DataFrame
df = spark.createDataFrame(data, ["article", "nested_tags"])

# Flatten the nested_tags column

df_flattened = df.withColumn("tags", flatten(df["nested_tags"]))

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 # Show the result
df_flattened.show(truncate=False)

Result:

+---------+------------------+------------------+
| article | nested_tags | tags |
+---------+------------------+------------------+
| Article1| [[tag1, tag2], [tag3]]| [tag1, tag2, tag3]|
| Article2| [[tag2, tag3], [tag4]]| [tag2, tag3, tag4]|
+---------+------------------+------------------+

Summary
Use explode when you need to transform an array or map into multiple rows, each
representing an element of the array or a key-value pair of the map.

Use flatten when you need to merge nested arrays into a single array.

37.Identify the PIVOT clause as a way to convert data from a long format to a wide format.

The PIVOT clause in SQL is a powerful tool for transforming data from a long format to a wide
format. This is particularly useful when you need to summarize and reorganize data for
reporting or analysis.

What is the PIVOT Clause?

The PIVOT clause rotates rows into columns, allowing you to aggregate data and create a more
readable and structured format. This is especially helpful when you have categorical data that
you want to spread across columns.

Example Scenario
Suppose you have a table sales with the following data:

year quarter region sales

2018 1 east 100

2018 2 east 20

2018 3 east 40

2018 4 east 40

2019 1 east 120

2019 2 east 110

2019 3 east 80

2019 4 east 60

2018 1 west 105

Databricks Data Engineer Associate(By Vijay Bhaskar Reddy) 42

 2018 2 west 25

2018 3 west 45

2018 4 west 45

2019 1 west 125

2019 2 west 115

2019 3 west 85

2019 4 west 65

You want to convert this data into a wide format where each quarter's sales are in separate
columns.

Using the PIVOT Clause

Here’s how you can use the PIVOT clause to achieve this:

SELECT year, region, q1, q2, q3, q4

FROM sales
PIVOT (
SUM(sales) AS sales
FOR quarter IN (1 AS q1, 2 AS q2, 3 AS q3, 4 AS q4)
);

Result:

year region q1 q2 q3 q4

2018 east 100 20 40 40

2019 east 120 110 80 60

2018 west 105 25 45 45

2019 west 125 115 85 65

Explanation
SUM(sales) AS sales : Aggregates the sales data.

FOR quarter IN (1 AS q1, 2 AS q2, 3 AS q3, 4 AS q4) : Specifies the pivot columns and their new
names.

Benefits of Using PIVOT

Simplifies Data Analysis: Makes it easier to compare data across different categories.

Improves Readability: Transforms data into a more intuitive format.

Reduces Complexity: Eliminates the need for multiple CASE statements or complex GROUP

BY queries.

Databricks Data Engineer Associate(By Vijay Bhaskar Reddy) 43

 The PIVOT clause is a versatile tool for data transformation in SQL, making it easier to work with
and analyze

38.Define a SQL UDF

A SQL User-Defined Function (UDF) allows you to extend the capabilities of SQL by defining
custom functions that can be used in SQL queries. These functions can perform complex
calculations, transformations, or custom data manipulations that are not available with built-in
SQL functions.

Creating a SQL UDF in Databricks

Here’s how you can define a SQL UDF in Databricks:

Example: Creating a Simple SQL UDF

Suppose you want to create a UDF that calculates the length of a string. You can define this
function as follows:

-- Create a SQL UDF to calculate the length of a string

CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION get_string_length(input_string STRING)
RETURNS INT
RETURN LENGTH(input_string);

CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION : This statement is used to create a new UDF or replace an existing
one.

get_string_length : The name of the UDF.

input_string STRING : The parameter for the UDF, which is a string in this case.

RETURNS INT : Specifies that the function returns an integer.

RETURN LENGTH(input_string) : The logic of the function, which calculates the length of the input
string.

Using the SQL UDF

Once the UDF is created, you can use it in your SQL queries just like any other function:

-- Use the UDF in a SQL query

SELECT name, get_string_length(name) AS name_length
FROM your_table;

Benefits of SQL UDFs

Reusability: UDFs can be reused across multiple queries, making your code more modular
and maintainable.

Databricks Data Engineer Associate(By Vijay Bhaskar Reddy) 44

 Abstraction: They provide a layer of abstraction, simplifying complex logic and making
SQL queries more readable.

Performance: SQL UDFs are optimized by the SQL engine, making them more efficient than
external UDFs written in other languages.

Example in PySpark
If you prefer to define a UDF using PySpark, you can do so as follows:

from pyspark.sql import SparkSession

from pyspark.sql.functions import udf
from pyspark.sql.types import IntegerType

# Initialize SparkSession
spark = SparkSession.builder.appName("UDFExample").getOrCreate()

# Define the UDF

@udf(returnType=IntegerType())
def get_string_length(input_string):
return len(input_string)

# Sample DataFrame
data = [("Alice",), ("Bob",), ("Carol",)]
df = spark.createDataFrame(data, ["name"])

# Use the UDF in a DataFrame query

df = df.withColumn("name_length", get_string_length(df["name"]))
df.show()

This example demonstrates how to create and use a UDF in PySpark to calculate the length of
a string

39.Identify the location of a function.

To identify the location of a function in Databricks, you can use the "Go to definition" and
"Peek definition" features available in Databricks notebooks. These features help you quickly
navigate to the definition of a function within your code.

Steps to Use "Go to Definition" and "Peek Definition"

1. Go to Definition:

Right-click on the function name in your notebook.

Select "Go to definition" or press F12 .

Databricks Data Engineer Associate(By Vijay Bhaskar Reddy) 45

 This will take you directly to the location where the function is defined.

2. Peek Definition:

Right-click on the function name.

Select "Peek definition".

This will show a small window with the function's definition without navigating away
from your current location.

Example
Suppose you have a function my_function defined in your notebook:

def my_function(x):
return x * 2

# Using the function

result = my_function(5)

To find where my_function is defined, right-click on my_function and choose "Go to definition"
or "Peek definition".

Troubleshooting
If these features do not work, ensure that:

Your notebook is attached to a cluster.

You are using a supported Databricks Runtime version (12.2 LTS and above)

40.Describe the security model for sharing SQL UDFs.

The security model for sharing SQL User-Defined Functions (UDFs) in Databricks is designed
to ensure that these functions are used safely and securely across different users and
environments. Here are the key aspects of this security model:

1. Access Control
SQL UDFs can be controlled using Access Control Language (ACL). This allows administrators
to define who can create, modify, and execute UDFs. By setting appropriate permissions, you
can ensure that only authorized users have access to sensitive functions

1
.

2. Unity Catalog Integration

Databricks integrates with Unity Catalog, which provides fine-grained access controls for data
and UDFs. UDFs registered in Unity Catalog can have associated permissions, ensuring that

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 only users with the necessary privileges can use them
2

3. Session-Based and Registered UDFs

Session-Based UDFs: These are scoped to the current SparkSession and are not shared
across sessions. They are useful for temporary or ad-hoc analyses.

Registered UDFs: These are registered in Unity Catalog and can be shared across multiple
queries, sessions, and users. They come with access controls to manage who can use
them.

4. Isolation and Sandboxing

To prevent malicious code execution, SQL UDFs are isolated from the core system. This
isolation ensures that UDFs cannot perform unauthorized actions or access restricted
resources
1

5. Auditing and Monitoring

Databricks provides auditing and monitoring capabilities to track the usage of UDFs. This helps
in identifying any unauthorized access or misuse of UDFs, ensuring compliance with security
policies

1
.

Example of Creating a Secure SQL UDF

Here’s an example of creating a SQL UDF with access control:

-- Create a SQL UDF to calculate the length of a string

CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION get_string_length(input_string STRING)
RETURNS INT
RETURN LENGTH(input_string);

-- Grant execute permission to a specific user

GRANT EXECUTE ON FUNCTION get_string_length TO user_name;

This example demonstrates how to create a UDF and grant execute permissions to a specific
user, ensuring that only authorized users can run the function.

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 Summary
The security model for sharing SQL UDFs in Databricks includes access control, integration
with Unity Catalog, session-based and registered UDFs, isolation and sandboxing, and auditing
and monitoring. These measures ensure that UDFs are used securely and efficiently across
different environments

41.Use CASE/WHEN in SQL code.

The CASE statement in SQL is used to create conditional logic within your queries. It allows you
to perform different actions based on different conditions, similar to an if-else statement in
programming languages. Here’s how you can use the CASE statement in SQL:

Basic Syntax

SELECT
CASE
WHEN condition1 THEN result1
WHEN condition2 THEN result2
...
ELSE default_result
END AS new_column_name
FROM
table_name;

42.Leverage CASE/WHEN for custom control flow

Using the CASE statement in Databricks SQL allows you to implement custom control flow
within your queries. This is particularly useful for creating conditional logic to handle different
scenarios based on your data. Here’s how you can leverage CASE/WHEN for custom control flow in
Databricks:

Example Scenario
Suppose you have a table sales with columns year , quarter , and revenue , and you want to
categorize the revenue into different performance levels.

Table: sales

year quarter revenue

2023 1 10000

2023 2 15000

2023 3 20000

2023 4 25000

Using CASE/WHEN

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 You can use the CASE statement to create a new column performance that categorizes the
revenue:

SELECT
year,
quarter,
revenue,
CASE
WHEN revenue >= 20000 THEN 'High'
WHEN revenue >= 15000 THEN 'Medium'
ELSE 'Low'
END AS performance
FROM
sales;

Result:

year quarter revenue performance

2023 1 10000 Low

2023 2 15000 Medium

2023 3 20000 High

2023 4 25000 High

Explanation
CASE : Starts the conditional logic.

WHEN condition THEN result : Specifies the condition and the result if the condition is true.

ELSE default_result : Specifies the default result if none of the conditions are true.

END : Ends the CASE statement.

Nested CASE Statements

For more complex logic, you can nest CASE statements:

SELECT
year,
quarter,
revenue,
CASE
WHEN revenue >= 20000 THEN 'High'
WHEN revenue >= 15000 THEN
CASE
WHEN revenue >= 18000 THEN 'Medium-High'

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 ELSE 'Medium'
END
ELSE 'Low'
END AS performance
FROM
sales;

Benefits of Using CASE/WHEN

Flexibility: Allows you to implement complex conditional logic directly within your SQL
queries.

Readability: Makes your queries more readable and easier to understand.

Efficiency: Reduces the need for multiple queries or complex joins to achieve the same
result.

Practical Use Cases

Data Categorization: Categorize numerical data into different ranges (e.g., low, medium,
high).

Conditional Aggregation: Apply different aggregation rules based on conditions.

Data Cleaning: Replace or modify values based on specific conditions.

Section 3: Incremental Data Processing(22%)

43.Identify where Delta Lake provides ACID transactions

Delta Lake provides ACID transactions in the context of data lakes, ensuring reliable and
consistent data management. Here are the key areas where Delta Lake implements ACID
transactions:

1. Atomicity: Ensures that all operations within a transaction are completed successfully or
none at all. This prevents partial updates that could lead to data corruption.

2. Consistency: Guarantees that transactions only bring the database from one valid state to
another, maintaining data integrity.

3. Isolation: Ensures that concurrent transactions do not interfere with each other, providing a
consistent view of the data.

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 4. Durability: Ensures that once a transaction is committed, it remains so, even in the event of
a system failure.

Delta Lake achieves these properties through its transaction log, which records all changes
and ensures that data operations are reliable and consistent

44.Identify the benefits of ACID transaction

ACID transactions offer several key benefits that are crucial for maintaining reliable and
consistent databases:

1. Data Integrity: ACID transactions ensure that data remains accurate and consistent, even
in the event of errors, system failures, or power outages. This is essential for applications
where data accuracy is critical, such as financial systems.

2. Simplified Concurrency Control: They allow multiple transactions to occur

simultaneously without interfering with each other. This is particularly important in
environments where many users or processes need to access and modify the same data
concurrently.

3. Intuitive Data Access Logic: ACID transactions simplify the logic required to manage data
operations. Developers don't need to write complex code to handle partial updates or
rollbacks, as the database system ensures that all operations within a transaction are
completed successfully or not at all.

4. Future-Proofing Database Needs: By ensuring that transactions are handled reliably, ACID
properties help future-proof databases against potential issues that could arise from data
corruption or inconsistencies.

These benefits make ACID transactions a cornerstone of modern database management,

providing a robust framework for data reliability and consistency

45.Identify whether a transaction is ACID-compliant.

To determine if a transaction is ACID-compliant, you need to check if it adheres to the following
four properties:

1. Atomicity:

2. Consistency:

3. Isolation:

4. Durability:

If a transaction meets all these criteria, it can be considered ACID-compliant. This ensures
reliable and consistent data management, which is crucial for applications where data integrity
is paramount.

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 46.Compare and contrast data and metadata.
comparison between data and metadata:

Data
Definition: Data refers to raw facts and figures that can be processed to extract meaningful
information. It can include numbers, text, images, and more.

Examples: Sales figures, customer names, transaction records, sensor readings.

Purpose: Used to perform analysis, make decisions, and derive insights.

Processing: Data may or may not be processed before it is stored.

Metadata
Definition: Metadata is data about data. It provides information that helps describe,
manage, and understand the data.

Examples: File size, creation date, author, data type, and tags.

Purpose: Helps in organizing, finding, and managing data. It provides context and makes
data easier to use.

Processing: Metadata is always processed information.

Key Differences
Informative Value: Data can be raw and unprocessed, while metadata is always
informative and processed.

Usage: Data is used for analysis and decision-making, whereas metadata helps in
understanding and managing the data.

Storage: Data can be stored in its raw form, while metadata is stored as processed
information.

In summary, while data represents the actual content, metadata provides essential information
about that content, making it easier to manage and utilize effectively.

47.Compare and contrast managed and external tables.

Managed Tables
Definition: Managed tables, also known as internal tables, are fully controlled by the
database management system (DBMS). The system manages both the data and the

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 metadata.

Data Storage: Data is stored within the database's storage system (e.g., HDFS for Hadoop,
a specific cloud storage service).

Data Management: When a managed table is dropped, both the data and the metadata are
deleted by the DBMS.

Use Case: Ideal for scenarios where the DBMS should have full control over the data
lifecycle, including storage, management, and deletion.

External Tables
Definition: External tables store metadata within the DBMS, but the actual data resides
outside the database, typically in an external storage system (e.g., Amazon S3, Azure Blob
Storage).

Data Storage: Data is stored externally, outside the database's storage system.

Data Management: When an external table is dropped, only the metadata is removed; the
actual data remains intact in the external storage.

Use Case: Suitable for scenarios where data needs to be shared across multiple systems
or where the data lifecycle is managed outside the DBMS.

Key Differences
Control: Managed tables give the DBMS full control over data and metadata, while external
tables only allow the DBMS to manage metadata.

Data Deletion: Dropping a managed table deletes both data and metadata, whereas
dropping an external table only deletes the metadata.

Flexibility: External tables offer more flexibility in terms of data storage and sharing across
different systems

48.Identify a scenario to use an external table.

A great scenario to use an external table is when you need to integrate and query large
datasets stored in a data lake without moving the data into your database. Here are some
specific examples:

1. Data Lakes Integration: If your organization uses a data lake to store vast amounts of raw,
unstructured data, external tables allow you to query this data directly without the need to
load it into your data warehouse. This is efficient and cost-effective.

2. Real-time Data Analysis: When dealing with streaming data or real-time analytics, external
tables enable you to query the data as it arrives, providing up-to-date insights without the
latency of data movement.

3. Cost-Effective Storage: Storing large volumes of data in a data warehouse can be

expensive. External tables allow you to keep the data in cheaper storage solutions (like

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 cloud storage) and query it as needed, reducing storage costs.

4. Data Sharing Across Systems: If you need to share data across multiple systems or
platforms, external tables can be used to provide access to the data without duplicating it.

These scenarios highlight the flexibility and efficiency of using external tables, especially in
environments where data is large, dynamic, and doesn't require heavy transformations before
analysis.

49.Create a managed table.

Creating a managed table involves defining the table structure and specifying the data it will
contain. Here's a basic example using SQL:

SQL Example

CREATE TABLE my_catalog.my_schema.my_managed_table (

id INT,
name STRING,
age INT,
created_at TIMESTAMP
);

In this example:

my_catalog : The catalog that will contain the table.

my_schema : The schema that will contain the table.

my_managed_table : The name of the table.

Columns: id , name , age , and created_at with their respective data types.

Steps to Create a Managed Table

1. Define the Table Structure: Specify the columns and their data types.

2. Execute the SQL Command: Run the CREATE TABLE command in your SQL environment.

Example in Databricks
If you're using Databricks, you can create a managed table using the following command:

CREATE TABLE my_catalog.my_schema.my_managed_table (

id INT,
name STRING,
age INT,
created_at TIMESTAMP
);

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 This command will create a managed table where Databricks manages both the data and the
metadata

50.Identify the location of a table.

To identify the location of a table, you can use various methods depending on the database or
data management system you're using. Here are some common approaches:

SQL Databases
1. Query the System Catalog: Most SQL databases have system catalogs or information
schemas that store metadata about tables. You can query these to find the location of a
table.

SELECT table_schema, table_name

FROM information_schema.tables
WHERE table_name = 'your_table_name';

2. Database-Specific Commands: Some databases have specific commands to show table

locations. For example, in PostgreSQL:

\dt your_table_name

Data Lakes (e.g., Delta Lake)

1. Check the Metadata: In systems like Delta Lake, you can check the metadata logs to find
the location of a table.

DESCRIBE DETAIL your_table_name;

51.Inspect the directory structure of Delta Lake file.

Delta Lake organizes its files in a specific directory structure to manage data and maintain
ACID transactions. Here's an overview of the key components:

Directory Structure
1. Root Directory: This is the main directory where your Delta table is stored. It contains all
the data files and subdirectories.

Example: /path/to/delta-table/

2. Data Files: These are the actual data files stored in formats like Parquet. They contain the
table's data.

Example: /path/to/delta-table/part-00000-xxxx.snappy.parquet

3. delta_log Directory: This subdirectory contains the transaction logs. These logs record all
changes made to the Delta table, ensuring ACID compliance.

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 Example: /path/to/delta-table/_delta_log/

Inside _delta_log , you'll find:

JSON Files: Each transaction is recorded in a JSON file.

Example: /path/to/delta-table/_delta_log/00000000000000000010.json

Checkpoint Files: These Parquet files provide a snapshot of the table's state at a
specific point in time, improving query performance.

Example: /path/to/delta-table/_delta_log/00000000000000000010.checkpoint.parquet

Example Structure

/path/to/delta-table/
├── part-00000-xxxx.snappy.parquet
├── part-00001-xxxx.snappy.parquet
├── _delta_log/
├── 00000000000000000000.json
├── 00000000000000000001.json
├── 00000000000000000001.checkpoint.parquet

Key Points
Transaction Logs: The _delta_log directory is crucial for maintaining the ACID properties of
Delta Lake. It logs every transaction, ensuring data consistency and reliability.

Data Organization: The data files are stored in a structured manner, allowing efficient data
retrieval and management.

This directory structure helps Delta Lake provide robust data management and transactional
guarantees

52.Identify who has written previous versions of a table. || 53.Review a history of table
transactions.

To identify who has written previous versions of a Delta Lake table, you can use the DESCRIBE
HISTORY command. This command provides detailed information about each operation

performed on the table, including the user who executed the operation. Here's how you can do
it:

Using SQL

DESCRIBE HISTORY your_table_name;

This command will return a history of all operations on the table, including:

version: The version number of the table.

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 timestamp: When the operation was committed.

userId: The ID of the user who performed the operation.

userName: The name of the user who performed the operation.

operation: The type of operation (e.g., INSERT, DELETE).

operationParameters: Parameters of the operation.

job: Details of the job that ran the operation.

notebook: Details of the notebook from which the operation was run.

clusterId: The ID of the cluster on which the operation ran

Additional Information
Retention: The history of table transactions is retained for 30 days by default, but this can
be configured using the delta.logRetentionDuration setting.

Time Travel: You can also use Delta Lake's time travel feature to query the table at specific
points in time, which can be useful for auditing and rollback purposes

54.Roll back a table to a previous version.

To roll back a Delta Lake table to a previous version in Databricks, you can use
the RESTORE command. This command allows you to revert the table to a specific version or a
specific timestamp. Here’s how you can do it:

Using SQL

Restore to a Specific Version

First, identify the version you want to restore to by using the DESCRIBE HISTORY command:

DESCRIBE HISTORY your_table_name;

Once you have the desired version number, you can restore the table:

RESTORE TABLE your_table_name TO VERSION AS OF version_number;s

Restore to a Specific Timestamp

If you prefer to restore the table to a specific point in time, use the timestamp:

RESTORE TABLE your_table_name TO TIMESTAMP AS OF 'yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss';

Example

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 Here’s an example of restoring a table named employee to version 5:

RESTORE TABLE employee TO VERSION AS OF 5;

Or restoring to a specific timestamp:

RESTORE TABLE employee TO TIMESTAMP AS OF '2024-12-01 00:00:00';

Additional Information
Retention: Ensure that the data files for the version you want to restore to are still available.
Data files may be deleted by the VACUUM command if they are older than the retention
period.

Validation: After restoring, you can validate the table's state by querying it to ensure it has
been correctly reverted.

55.Identify that a table can be rolled back to a previous version.| 56.Query a specific
version of a table
Delta Lake table in Databricks can be rolled back to a previous version. This is done using
the RESTORE command, which allows you to revert the table to a specific version or a specific
timestamp.

How to Roll Back a Table

Restore to a Specific Version

First, identify the version you want to restore to by using the DESCRIBE HISTORY command:

DESCRIBE HISTORY your_table_name;

Once you have the desired version number, you can restore the table:

RESTORE TABLE your_table_name TO VERSION AS OF version_number;

Restore to a Specific Timestamp

If you prefer to restore the table to a specific point in time, use the timestamp:

RESTORE TABLE your_table_name TO TIMESTAMP AS OF 'yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss';

Example
Here’s an example of restoring a table named employee to version 5:

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 RESTORE TABLE employee TO VERSION AS OF 5;

Or restoring to a specific timestamp:

RESTORE TABLE employee TO TIMESTAMP AS OF '2024-12-01 00:00:00';

Additional Information
Retention: Ensure that the data files for the version you want to restore to are still available.
Data files may be deleted by the VACUUM command if they are older than the retention
period.
1

Validation: After restoring, you can validate the table's state by querying it to ensure it has
been correctly reverted.

57.Identify why Z-ordering is beneficial to Delta Lake table

Z-ordering is a powerful technique used in Delta Lake to optimize query performance by
organizing data in a way that enhances data skipping. Here are the key benefits of Z-ordering:

1. Improved Query Performance: Z-ordering colocates related information in the same set
of files. This co-locality allows Delta Lake's data-skipping algorithms to dramatically
reduce the amount of data that needs to be read during queries. For example, if you
frequently query a table by a specific column, Z-ordering by that column can make those
queries much faster.

2. Efficient Data Skipping: By organizing data based on the values of one or more columns,
Z-ordering helps the query engine skip over large portions of data that do not match the
query criteria. This is particularly useful for columns with high cardinality (many unique
values).

3. Reduced I/O Operations: Since Z-ordering minimizes the number of files that need to be
read, it reduces the input/output operations required to execute a query. This leads to
faster query execution times and lower resource consumption.

4. Optimized Storage: Z-ordering can also help in compacting the data files, reducing the
number of small files and improving storage efficiency.

Example Scenario
Suppose you have a Delta table with a billion rows and you frequently query it by a specific
column, such as date . By Z-ordering the table by the date column, you ensure that rows with
similar dates are stored close together. This allows the query engine to skip over large chunks
of data that fall outside the queried date range, significantly speeding up the query.
In summary, Z-ordering is beneficial for enhancing query performance, improving data
skipping, reducing I/O operations, and optimizing storage in Delta Lake tables.

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 58.Identify how vacuum commits deletes.

Delta Lake, the VACUUM command is used to clean up and permanently delete data files that are
no longer referenced by the Delta table. This helps in managing storage costs and maintaining
the efficiency of the data lake. Here’s how VACUUM commits deletes:

How VACUUM Works

1. Identifies Unused Files: The VACUUM command scans the Delta table's transaction log to
identify data files that are no longer referenced by any active version of the table.

2. Retention Period: By default, VACUUM only removes files that are older than a specified
retention period (usually 7 days). This retention period ensures that recent changes can still
be accessed for time travel queries.

3. Deletes Files: Once the unused files are identified and the retention period is
checked, VACUUM deletes these files from the storage system.

4. Commit Operation: The deletion of files is committed, meaning the files are permanently
removed and cannot be recovered through Delta Lake's time travel feature.

Example Command

VACUUM your_table_name RETAIN 168 HOURS;

This command will remove all files older than 7 days (168 hours) from the Delta table.

Important Considerations
Time Travel: After running VACUUM , you lose the ability to time travel to versions of the table
that relied on the deleted files.

Dry Run: You can use the DRY RUN option to see which files would be deleted without
actually removing them:

VACUUM your_table_name DRY RUN;

Storage Optimization: Regularly running VACUUM helps in optimizing storage by removing

obsolete files, thus reducing storage costs.

By understanding and using the VACUUM command, you can effectively manage your Delta Lake
storage and maintain optimal performance.

Example Command

VACUUM your_table_name DRY RUN;

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 This command will output a list of files that would be deleted if the VACUUM command were
executed without the DRY RUN option.

Example Output
When you run the DRY RUN command, you might see an output like this:

Found 10 files and directories in a total of 2 directories that are saf

e to delete.

59.Identify the kind of files Optimize compact.

The OPTIMIZE command in Delta Lake is used to compact small files into larger ones. This
process is known as small file compaction or bin-packing. Here’s a detailed look at the kinds of
files that OPTIMIZE targets:

Small Files
Definition: Small files are data files that are significantly smaller than the optimal size for
efficient querying and storage. These files can be created due to frequent small batch
writes or streaming data ingestion.

Problem: Small files cause high I/O overhead, slow query performance, and large metadata
transaction logs, which can lead to slower planning times.

How OPTIMIZE Works

Compaction: The OPTIMIZE command rewrites these small files into fewer, larger files. This
reduces the number of files that need to be read during query execution, improving
performance.

File Layout: For tables with partitions, the compaction and data layout are performed within
each partition to maintain data locality and improve query efficiency.

Example Command

OPTIMIZE '/path/to/delta/table';

This command will compact the small files in the specified Delta table.

Benefits
Improved Query Performance: By reducing the number of small files,
the OPTIMIZE command helps in speeding up read queries.

Reduced I/O Operations: Larger files mean fewer files to read, which reduces the I/O
operations required for queries.

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 Efficient Storage: Compaction helps in better utilizing storage by reducing the overhead
associated with managing many small files.

In summary, the OPTIMIZE command in Delta Lake targets small files to improve query
performance, reduce I/O operations, and optimize storage efficiency

60.Identify CTAS as a solution.

In Databricks, the Create Table As Select (CTAS) command is a versatile solution for various
data management tasks. Here’s how CTAS can be effectively used in Databricks:

Scenarios Where CTAS is Useful

1. Data Transformation and Aggregation:

Scenario: You need to transform or aggregate data from an existing table and store the
results in a new table.

Solution: Use CTAS to create a new table with the transformed or aggregated data.

CREATE TABLE new_table AS

SELECT column1, SUM(column2) AS total
FROM existing_table
GROUP BY column1;

2. Data Backup and Archiving:

Scenario: You want to create a backup or archive of a table at a specific point in time.

Solution: Use CTAS to create a snapshot of the table.

CREATE TABLE backup_table AS

SELECT * FROM original_table;

3. Performance Optimization:

Scenario: You need to optimize query performance by creating a pre-aggregated or

pre-joined table.

Solution: Use CTAS to create a new table that stores the results of complex queries.

CREATE TABLE optimized_table AS

SELECT a.*, b.*
FROM table_a a
JOIN table_b b ON a.id = b.id;

4. Data Subsetting:

Scenario: You need to create a subset of data for testing or analysis.

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 Solution: Use CTAS to create a new table with a subset of the data.

CREATE TABLE subset_table AS

SELECT * FROM large_table
WHERE condition;

Benefits of Using CTAS in Databricks

Efficiency: CTAS combines the creation of a table and the insertion of data into a single
operation, making it efficient.

Simplicity: It simplifies the process of creating new tables based on complex queries.

Flexibility: CTAS can be used for a wide range of data management tasks, from simple
data copying to complex transformations.

Example in Databricks
Here’s an example of using CTAS in Databricks to create a new Delta table:

CREATE TABLE delta.`/mnt/delta/new_table` AS

SELECT * FROM existing_table;

This command creates a new Delta table at the specified location with the data
from existing_table .
In summary, CTAS is a powerful and flexible tool in Databricks for creating new tables based on
the results of SELECT queries, making it a valuable solution for data transformation, backup,
optimization, and subsetting.

61.Create a generated column.

Creating a generated column in Databricks involves using Delta Lake, which supports
generated columns. These columns are automatically computed based on a user-specified
function over other columns in the table. Here's how you can create a generated column in
Databricks:

Example: Creating a Generated Column

Let's say you have a table people with a birthDate column, and you want to create
a dateOfBirth column that extracts the date from the birthDate timestamp.

1. Create the Table with a Generated Column:

CREATE TABLE default.people (

id INT,
firstName STRING,

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 middleName STRING,
lastName STRING,
gender STRING,
birthDate TIMESTAMP,
dateOfBirth DATE GENERATED ALWAYS AS (CAST(birthDate AS DATE)),
ssn STRING,
salary INT
);

In this example, the dateOfBirth column is a generated column that automatically computes its
value by casting the birthDate timestamp to a date

Key Points
Generated columns can use most built-in SQL functions in Spark.

They are stored as normal columns, meaning they occupy storage space.

You can create Delta tables with generated columns using SQL, Scala, Java, or Python APIs

62.Add a table comment.

Adding a comment to a table in Databricks is straightforward. You can use the COMMENT

ON statement to add or modify comments on tables. Here's how you can do it:

Example: Adding a Comment to a Table

1. Add a Comment to a Table:

COMMENT ON TABLE my_table IS 'This is my table comment';

1. Remove a Comment from a Table:

COMMENT ON TABLE my_table IS NULL;

Key Points
Syntax:

COMMENT ON TABLE table_name IS 'your_comment';

Removing a Comment:

COMMENT ON TABLE table_name IS NULL;

You need appropriate privileges to add or modify comments on a table.

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 Additional Information
You can also add comments to other objects like catalogs, schemas, and columns using
similar syntax.

For AI-generated comments, Databricks provides features to automatically generate and

manage comments for tables and columns

63.Use CREATE OR REPLACE TABLE and INSERT OVERWRITE

Databricks, you can use the CREATE OR REPLACE TABLE statement to create a new table or replace
an existing one, and the INSERT OVERWRITE statement to overwrite data in a table. Here's how you
can use both:

Example: Using CREATE OR REPLACE TABLE

1. Create or Replace a Table:

CREATE OR REPLACE TABLE my_table (

id INT,
name STRING,
age INT
);

This statement will create a new table named my_table if it doesn't exist, or replace the existing
table with the same name.

Example: Using INSERT OVERWRITE

1. Insert Overwrite Data in a Table:

INSERT OVERWRITE TABLE my_table

SELECT id, name, age
FROM another_table
WHERE age > 30;

This statement will overwrite the data in my_table with the results of the SELECT query
from another_table where the age is greater than 30

Key Points
: This command is useful for ensuring that a table is created if it
CREATE OR REPLACE TABLE

doesn't exist or replaced if it does.

INSERT OVERWRITE : This command replaces the existing data in the table with the new data
specified by the query. It can be used with or without partitions.

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 64.Compare and contrast CREATE OR REPLACE TABLE and INSERT OVERWRITE
compare and contrast the CREATE OR REPLACE TABLE and INSERT OVERWRITE statements in Databricks:

CREATE OR REPLACE TABLE

Purpose:

Creates a new table if it doesn't exist or replaces an existing table with the same name.

Usage:

Used when you want to define the schema and structure of a table, and optionally populate
it with initial data.

Syntax:

CREATE OR REPLACE TABLE table_name (

column1 data_type,
column2 data_type,
...
);

Key Points:

Schema Definition: Allows you to define the table schema, including column names and
data types.

Table Replacement: If the table already exists, it is dropped and recreated, which means all
existing data is lost.

Flexibility: Useful for creating tables from scratch or redefining the schema of existing
tables.

INSERT OVERWRITE
Purpose:

Overwrites the existing data in a table or partition with new data.

Usage:

Used when you want to replace the data in a table or specific partitions without changing
the table schema.

Syntax:

INSERT OVERWRITE TABLE table_name

SELECT column1, column2, ...
FROM source_table
WHERE condition;

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 Key Points:

Data Replacement: Replaces the existing data in the table or specified partitions with the
results of a SELECT query.

Schema Preservation: The table schema remains unchanged; only the data is overwritten.

Efficiency: Useful for updating large datasets or partitions with new data without altering
the table structure.

Comparison
Feature CREATE OR REPLACE TABLE INSERT OVERWRITE

Primary Function Create or replace a table Overwrite data in a table or partition

Schema Definition Yes No

Data Overwrite Yes (all data is lost if table exists) Yes (only data is overwritten)

Use Case Defining or redefining table schema Replacing data in existing tables/partitions

Flexibility High (can change schema) Moderate (schema remains unchanged)

Example Use Cases

CREATE OR REPLACE TABLE : When you need to redefine the schema of a table, such as adding or
removing columns, and you are okay with losing existing data.

INSERT OVERWRITE : When you need to update the data in a table or partition, such as
refreshing a dataset with new values, while keeping the table schema intact.

65.Identify a scenario in which MERGE should be used.

The MERGE statement in Databricks is particularly useful for scenarios where you need to
perform upserts (a combination of updates and inserts) or synchronize data between tables.
Here’s a common scenario where MERGE should be used:

Scenario: Data Synchronization

Imagine you have a target Delta table that stores customer information and a source table that
contains new and updated customer records. You want to update existing customer records in
the target table with the new information from the source table and insert new customer
records that do not exist in the target table.

Example: Using MERGE for Data Synchronization

1. Target Table ( customers ):

Contains existing customer records.

2. Source Table ( new_customers ):

Contains new and updated customer records.

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 3. MERGE Statement:

MERGE INTO customers AS target

USING new_customers AS source
ON target.customer_id = source.customer_id
WHEN MATCHED THEN
UPDATE SET
target.name = source.name,
target.email = source.email,
target.phone = source.phone
WHEN NOT MATCHED THEN
INSERT (customer_id, name, email, phone)
VALUES (source.customer_id, source.name, source.email, source.phone);

Key Points
WHEN MATCHED: Updates existing records in the target table with the data from the
source table.

WHEN NOT MATCHED: Inserts new records from the source table into the target table.

Data Consistency: Ensures that the target table is synchronized with the latest data from
the source table.

Benefits of Using MERGE

Efficiency: Combines multiple operations (insert, update, delete) into a single statement,
reducing the complexity and improving performance.

Atomicity: Ensures that the operations are performed atomically, maintaining data integrity.

Flexibility: Supports complex conditions and actions, making it suitable for various data
integration and synchronization tasks

66.Identify MERGE as a command to deduplicate data upon writing.

The MERGE statement in Databricks is indeed a powerful command for deduplicating data upon
writing. It allows you to combine insert, update, and delete operations into a single statement,
making it ideal for maintaining data integrity and avoiding duplicates.

Scenario: Deduplicating Data Upon Writing

Imagine you have a target Delta table that may contain duplicate records, and you want to
ensure that only unique records are maintained when new data is added. You can use
the MERGE statement to achieve this by specifying conditions to identify duplicates and handle
them appropriately.

Example: Using MERGE to Deduplicate Data

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 1. Target Table ( customers ):

Contains existing customer records, potentially with duplicates.

2. Source Table ( new_customers ):

Contains new customer records that need to be merged into the target table.

3. MERGE Statement:

MERGE INTO customers AS target

USING new_customers AS source
ON target.customer_id = source.customer_id
WHEN MATCHED THEN
UPDATE SET
target.name = source.name,
target.email = source.email,
target.phone = source.phone
WHEN NOT MATCHED THEN
INSERT (customer_id, name, email, phone)
VALUES (source.customer_id, source.name, source.email, source.phone);

Key Points
Deduplication: The MERGE statement ensures that if a record with the
same customer_id exists in both the target and source tables, the target table is updated with
the new data from the source table. If no matching record is found, a new record is
inserted.

Efficiency: Combines multiple operations into a single statement, reducing the complexity
and improving performance.

Data Integrity: Maintains data integrity by ensuring that only unique records are present in
the target table.

Benefits of Using MERGE for Deduplication

Atomic Operations: Ensures that the deduplication process is atomic, meaning all changes
are applied consistently.

Flexibility: Allows for complex conditions and actions, making it suitable for various data
integration and deduplication tasks.

Scalability: Efficiently handles large datasets, making it ideal for big data environments.

67.Describe the benefits of the MERGE command

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 he MERGE command in Databricks offers several significant benefits, making it a powerful tool
for data management and analysis. Here are some key advantages:

1. Consolidation of Data
Combines Multiple Operations: The MERGE command allows you to perform updates,
insertions, and deletions in a single statement. This is particularly useful for consolidating
data from different sources into a single dataset.

Simplifies Data Integration: By merging data from various sources, it eliminates the need
for multiple steps and manual data manipulation, streamlining the data integration process.

2. Efficiency and Performance

Optimized Performance: Databricks has an optimized implementation of MERGE that
reduces the number of shuffle operations, improving performance for common workloads.

Low Shuffle Merge: This feature processes unmodified rows separately, reducing the
amount of shuffled data and enhancing performance. It also helps maintain the data layout,
which benefits subsequent operations.

3. Data Integrity and Consistency

Atomic Operations: The MERGE command ensures that all operations (insert, update, delete)
are performed atomically, maintaining data integrity and consistency.

Accurate Data Matching: It performs matching and combining of records based on

specified conditions, ensuring that data is accurately updated or inserted.

4. Flexibility and Scalability

Complex Conditions: Supports complex conditions and actions, making it suitable for
various data synchronization and deduplication tasks.

Scalability: Efficiently handles large datasets, making it ideal for big data environments and
ensuring that operations are scalable.

Use Cases
Data Synchronization: Keeping a target table in sync with a source table by updating
existing records and inserting new ones.

Deduplication: Ensuring that only unique records are maintained in a table by merging new
data and removing duplicates.

Data Warehousing: Integrating and updating data from multiple sources into a data
warehouse.

68.Identify why a COPY INTO statement is not duplicating data in the target table.

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 The COPY INTO statement in Databricks is designed to be idempotent, meaning it should not
duplicate data in the target table if used correctly. Here are some reasons why COPY INTO might
not be duplicating data:

Reasons for No Data Duplication

1. Idempotent Operation:

is designed to skip files that have already been loaded, even if they have been
COPY INTO

modified since the last load. This ensures that each file is only loaded once, preventing
duplication.

2. File Metadata Tracking:

Databricks tracks the metadata of files that have been loaded into the table. If a file
with the same name and path is encountered again, it is skipped.

3. Correct Usage:

If the initial data load and subsequent incremental loads are done correctly using COPY

INTO , the command ensures that no duplicate records are inserted.

Example Usage

COPY INTO target_table

FROM 'path/to/source/files'
FILEFORMAT = PARQUET;

Common Issues and Solutions

Overlapping Data: If incremental load files contain overlapping data with previously loaded
files, ensure that the files are mutually exclusive to avoid potential duplicates.

Initial Load Method: Ensure that the initial data load is also done using COPY INTO rather than
other methods like CREATE TABLE AS SELECT , which might not track file metadata in the same
way.

Key Points
Idempotency: Ensures that files are only loaded once.

Metadata Tracking: Prevents reloading of the same files.

Proper Usage: Ensures no duplication if used correctly from the start.

69.Identify a scenario in which COPY INTO should be used.

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 The COPY INTO statement in Databricks is particularly useful for efficiently loading data from
external file sources into Delta tables. Here’s a scenario where COPY INTO should be used:

Scenario: Incremental Data Loading from Cloud Storage

Imagine you have a data pipeline that regularly receives new data files in a cloud storage
location (e.g., AWS S3, Azure Data Lake Storage, Google Cloud Storage). You want to
incrementally load these new files into a Delta table in Databricks without duplicating data.

Example: Using COPY INTO for Incremental Data Loading

1. Source Files:

New data files are regularly added to a cloud storage location, such as s3://my-

bucket/new-data/ .

2. Target Table ( my_table ):

A Delta table in Databricks where the data will be loaded.

3. COPY INTO Statement:

COPY INTO my_table

FROM 's3://my-bucket/new-data/'
FILEFORMAT = PARQUET
COPY_OPTIONS ('mergeSchema' = 'true');

Key Points
Idempotent Operation: COPY INTO ensures that files already loaded are skipped, preventing
data duplication.

Schema Evolution: The mergeSchema option allows the schema to evolve automatically as
new columns are added in the source files.

File Format Support: Supports various file formats such as Parquet, CSV, JSON, and more.

Cloud Storage Integration: Easily integrates with cloud storage services, making it ideal for
cloud-based data pipelines.

Benefits
Efficiency: Simplifies the process of loading new data incrementally without manual
intervention.

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 Scalability: Handles large volumes of data efficiently, making it suitable for big data
environments.

Data Integrity: Ensures that each file is processed exactly once, maintaining data integrity.

70.Use COPY INTO to insert data.

COPY INTO statement to insert data into a Delta table in Databricks, follow these steps:

Example: Using COPY INTO to Insert Data

1. Create the Target Table (if it doesn't already exist):

CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS my_table (

id INT,
name STRING,
age INT
);

1. Use COPY INTO to Load Data from a Source Location:

COPY INTO my_table

FROM 's3://my-bucket/new-data/'
FILEFORMAT = PARQUET
COPY_OPTIONS ('mergeSchema' = 'true');

Key Points
Source Location: The FROM clause specifies the path to the source files. This can be a
cloud storage location like S3, Azure Data Lake Storage, or Google Cloud Storage.

File Format: The FILEFORMAT clause specifies the format of the source files (e.g., PARQUET,
CSV, JSON).

Schema Evolution: The COPY_OPTIONS clause with mergeSchema set to true allows the schema
to evolve automatically as new columns are added in the source files.

Benefits
Idempotent Operation: Ensures that files already loaded are skipped, preventing data
duplication.

Efficiency: Simplifies the process of loading new data incrementally without manual
intervention.

Scalability: Handles large volumes of data efficiently, making it suitable for big data
environments.

71.Identify the components necessary to create a new DLT pipeline.

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 Creating a new Delta Live Tables (DLT) pipeline in Databricks involves several key components
and steps. Here’s a breakdown of what you need:

Components Necessary to Create a New DLT Pipeline

1. Databricks Workspace:

Ensure you have access to a Databricks workspace where you can create and manage
your DLT pipelines.

2. Cluster:

You need permission to create clusters or access to a cluster policy that defines a Delta
Live Tables cluster. The DLT runtime creates a cluster before running your pipeline.

3. Data Source:

Identify the source data you want to process. This could be data stored in cloud
storage (e.g., AWS S3, Azure Data Lake Storage) or other databases.

4. Pipeline Configuration:

Pipeline Name: Provide a unique name for your pipeline.

Serverless Option: Optionally, you can check the box for serverless to simplify
resource management.

Catalog and Schema: Select a catalog to publish data and specify a schema within that
catalog.

5. ETL Code:

Write the ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) code using Python or SQL. This code will
define how data is ingested, transformed, and loaded into the target tables.

6. Notebooks:

Create notebooks to write and manage your ETL code. These notebooks will be used to
declare materialized views and streaming tables.

7. Permissions:

Ensure you have the necessary permissions to create schemas, tables, and manage
clusters within your Databricks workspace.

Steps to Create a New DLT Pipeline

1. Create a Pipeline:

Navigate to Delta Live Tables in the Databricks sidebar and click on "Create Pipeline".

Provide the necessary configuration details such as pipeline name, serverless option,
catalog, and schema.

2. Write ETL Code:

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 Use Databricks notebooks to write your ETL code in Python or SQL. This code will
define the data transformations and loading processes.

3. Start the Pipeline:

Once the pipeline is configured and the ETL code is ready, start the pipeline to begin
processing data.

Example Configuration

CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS my_table (

id INT,
name STRING,
age INT
);

COPY INTO my_table

FROM 's3://my-bucket/new-data/'
FILEFORMAT = PARQUET
COPY_OPTIONS ('mergeSchema' = 'true');

This example shows how to create a table and use the COPY INTO statement to load data from an
S3 bucket.

72.Identify the purpose of the target and of the notebook libraries in creating a pipeline.
When creating a Delta Live Tables (DLT) pipeline in Databricks, the target and notebook
libraries play crucial roles in the pipeline's functionality and organization.

Purpose of the Target

The target in a DLT pipeline specifies where the tables created by your pipeline will be
published. This is particularly important when you move beyond development and testing
phases. Here’s why it’s essential:

Data Availability: Publishing tables to a target makes them available for querying and
analysis elsewhere in your Databricks environment.

Organization: Helps in organizing your data assets by specifying a catalog and schema,
ensuring that your tables are stored in a structured and accessible manner.

Consistency: Ensures that all tables created by the pipeline are consistently published to
the same location, which is crucial for data governance and management.

Purpose of Notebook Libraries

Notebook libraries are used to write and manage the ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) code that
defines the data transformations and loading processes in your pipeline. Here’s why they are
important:

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 Development and Validation: Notebooks allow you to develop and validate your pipeline
code interactively. You can test your transformations and logic step-by-step before
deploying them.

Modularity: By using notebooks, you can modularize your ETL code, making it easier to
manage, debug, and maintain.

Documentation: Notebooks can include markdown cells for documentation, making it

easier to understand the purpose and functionality of different parts of your pipeline.

Flexibility: You can use notebooks to write your ETL code in Python or SQL, depending on
your preference and the requirements of your pipeline.

Example Workflow
1. Define the Target:

Specify the catalog and schema where your tables will be published.

CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS my_catalog.my_schema.my_table (

id INT,
name STRING,
age INT
);

2. Develop ETL Code in Notebooks:

Write your data transformation logic in a Databricks notebook.

# Example Python code in a notebook

df = spark.read.format("csv").option("header", "true").load("/path/t
o/source.csv")
df_transformed = df.withColumn("age", df["age"].cast("int"))
df_transformed.write.format("delta").saveAsTable("my_catalog.my_sche
ma.my_table")

By understanding and utilizing the target and notebook libraries effectively, you can create
robust and maintainable data pipelines in Databricks.

73.Compare and contrast triggered and continuous pipelines in terms of cost and latency
Let's compare and contrast triggered and continuous pipelines in Databricks, focusing on cost
and latency:

Triggered Pipelines
Cost:

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 Lower Cost: Triggered pipelines generally incur lower costs because the cluster runs only
for the duration needed to process the data and then stops. This reduces the overall
compute time and resource usage.

Latency:

Higher Latency: Since triggered pipelines process data at scheduled intervals (e.g., every
10 minutes, hourly, or daily), there is a delay between data arrival and processing. This
makes them less suitable for scenarios requiring real-time data updates.

Continuous Pipelines
Cost:

Higher Cost: Continuous pipelines require an always-running cluster, which increases the
cost due to constant resource usage. This is necessary to process data as it arrives,
ensuring that the pipeline is always up-to-date.

Latency:

Lower Latency: Continuous pipelines process data in near real-time, with updates
occurring as frequently as every few seconds to minutes. This makes them ideal for
applications that need immediate data freshness and low-latency processing.

Comparison Table
Feature Triggered Pipelines Continuous Pipelines

Cost Lower (cluster runs only during updates) Higher (cluster runs continuously)

Latency Higher (scheduled intervals) Lower (real-time processing)

Use Case Batch processing, periodic updates Real-time analytics, streaming data

Resource Usage Efficient, runs only when needed Constant, always running

Use Cases
Triggered Pipelines: Suitable for batch processing tasks where data freshness is not
critical, such as daily reports or periodic data aggregation.

Continuous Pipelines: Ideal for real-time analytics, monitoring systems, and applications
that require immediate data updates, such as fraud detection or live dashboards.

74.Identify which source location is utilizing Auto Loader.

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 Auto Loader in Databricks can load data files from several cloud storage sources. Here are the
supported source locations:

1. Amazon S3 ( s3:// )

2. Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 ( abfss:// )

3. Google Cloud Storage ( gs:// )

4. Azure Blob Storage ( wasbs:// )

5. Azure Data Lake Storage Gen1 ( adl:// ) - Note that this is being deprecated.

6. Databricks File System ( dbfs:/ )

Auto Loader is designed to incrementally and efficiently process new data files as they arrive in
these cloud storage locations, making it ideal for handling large volumes of data in near real-
time.

75.Identify a scenario in which Auto Loader is beneficial

Auto Loader in Databricks is particularly beneficial in scenarios where you need to efficiently
and incrementally process large volumes of data from cloud storage. Here’s a common
scenario where Auto Loader shines:

Scenario: Real-Time Data Ingestion for IoT Devices

Imagine you are managing a fleet of IoT devices that continuously generate data and store it in
a cloud storage location, such as AWS S3 or Azure Data Lake Storage. You need to process
this data in near real-time to monitor device performance, detect anomalies, and trigger alerts.

Benefits of Using Auto Loader

1. Incremental Data Processing:

Auto Loader can automatically detect and process new files as they arrive in the cloud
storage, ensuring that your data pipeline is always up-to-date without manual
intervention.

2. Scalability:

It can handle billions of files and scale to support near real-time ingestion of millions of
files per hour, making it ideal for high-volume data sources like IoT devices.

3. Schema Evolution:

Auto Loader supports schema inference and evolution, allowing it to adapt to changes
in the data schema over time without requiring manual updates.

4. Fault Tolerance:

It provides exactly-once processing guarantees by tracking the ingestion progress and

ensuring that each file is processed only once, even in the event of failures.

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 Example Workflow
1. Configure Auto Loader:

Set up Auto Loader to monitor the cloud storage location where IoT data is stored.

df = (spark.readStream
.format("cloudFiles")
.option("cloudFiles.format", "json")
.load("s3://my-bucket/iot-data/"))

2. Process Data:

Define the transformations and actions to process the incoming data.

processed_df = df.withColumn("timestamp", current_timestamp())

3. Write to Delta Table:

Write the processed data to a Delta table for further analysis.

(processed_df.writeStream
.format("delta")
.option("checkpointLocation", "/path/to/checkpoint")
.start("/path/to/delta-table"))

By using Auto Loader, you can ensure that your data pipeline is robust, scalable, and capable
of handling real-time data ingestion efficiently.

76.Identify why Auto Loader has inferred all data to be STRING from a JSON source
Auto Loader in Databricks infers all data to be STRING from a JSON source by default because
JSON does not inherently encode data types. Here are the key reasons:

1. Default Behavior:

For formats like JSON and CSV, Auto Loader infers all columns as strings by default.
This includes nested fields in JSON files.

2. Schema Inference Configuration:

The default setting for schema inference in Auto Loader is to treat all columns as
strings unless explicitly configured otherwise. This is controlled by
the cloudFiles.inferColumnTypes option.

How to Address This

To ensure that Auto Loader infers the correct data types, you can enable
the cloudFiles.inferColumnTypes option:

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 df = (spark.readStream
.format("cloudFiles")
.option("cloudFiles.format", "json")
.option("cloudFiles.inferColumnTypes", "true")
.load("s3://my-bucket/json-data/"))

Key Points
Schema Evolution: Enabling cloudFiles.inferColumnTypes allows Auto Loader to infer the actual
data types of columns, which can help in maintaining the correct schema as new data
arrives.

Flexibility: This option provides flexibility in handling different data types and ensures that
your data is accurately represented in the Delta table.

77.Identify the default behavior of a constraint violation

In Databricks, the default behavior when a constraint is violated is to fail the transaction with an
error. This ensures that data integrity is maintained by preventing invalid data from being
written to the table.

Types of Constraints and Their Enforcement

1. NOT NULL Constraint:

Ensures that a column cannot have null values.

If a null value is inserted into a column with a NOT NULL constraint, the transaction
fails.

2. CHECK Constraint:

Ensures that a specified condition is true for each row in the table.

If a row violates the CHECK constraint, the transaction fails.

Example

CREATE TABLE people (

id INT NOT NULL,
name STRING,
age INT CHECK (age > 0)
);

-- Attempting to insert invalid data

INSERT INTO people (id, name, age) VALUES (1, 'John Doe', -5);
-- This will fail because the age is not greater than 0

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 In this example, the insertion fails because the age value violates the CHECK constraint.

78.Identify the impact of ON VIOLATION DROP ROW and ON VIOLATION FAIL UPDATE for a
constraint violation
In Databricks, the ON VIOLATION clause can be used to specify the action to take when a data
quality constraint is violated. Here’s a comparison of the impacts of ON VIOLATION DROP ROW and ON

VIOLATION FAIL UPDATE :

ON VIOLATION DROP ROW

Impact:

Data Handling: Rows that violate the specified constraint are excluded from the target
table. This means that any invalid records are simply dropped and not written to the table.

Data Quality: Ensures that only valid data is written to the table, maintaining high data
quality.

Metrics: The number of dropped rows is recorded as part of the data quality metrics,
which can be monitored.

Use Case: Useful when you want to ensure that only clean data is loaded, and you can
afford to lose invalid records.

ON VIOLATION FAIL UPDATE

Impact:

Data Handling: The entire update operation fails if any row violates the specified
constraint. No data is written to the table until the violation is resolved.

Data Quality: Ensures strict adherence to data quality rules by preventing any invalid data
from being written.

Error Handling: Requires manual intervention to correct the data or the constraint before
the update can be retried.

Use Case: Suitable for scenarios where data integrity is critical, and you cannot afford to
have any invalid data in the table.

Example

-- Using ON VIOLATION DROP ROW

CREATE TABLE people (
id INT,
name STRING,

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 age INT,
CONSTRAINT valid_age CHECK (age > 0) ON VIOLATION DROP ROW
);

-- Using ON VIOLATION FAIL UPDATE

CREATE TABLE people (
id INT,
name STRING,
age INT,
CONSTRAINT valid_age CHECK (age > 0) ON VIOLATION FAIL UPDATE
);

Summary
ON VIOLATION DROP ROW : Drops invalid rows, ensuring only valid data is written, but potentially
losing some data.

: Fails the entire update operation if any row is invalid, ensuring strict
ON VIOLATION FAIL UPDATE

data integrity but requiring manual intervention to resolve issues.

79.Explain change data capture and the behavior of APPLY CHANGES INTO

Change Data Capture (CDC)

Change Data Capture (CDC) is a process that identifies and captures incremental changes
(inserts, updates, and deletes) in a database. This allows you to track changes in real-time and
apply them to another system, ensuring data consistency and enabling real-time analytics.
CDC is crucial for scenarios like synchronizing databases, updating data warehouses, and
maintaining data lakes

Behavior of APPLY CHANGES INTO

In Databricks, the APPLY CHANGES INTO statement is used within Delta Live Tables (DLT) to simplify
the CDC process. Here’s how it works:

1. Source Data: It processes changes from a change data feed (CDF) or snapshots of the
source data.

2. Sequencing: You must specify a column in the source data to sequence records, ensuring
proper ordering.

3. Handling Out-of-Order Data: Automatically manages out-of-sequence records, eliminating

the need for complex logic to handle such cases.

4. SCD Types: Supports Slowly Changing Dimensions (SCD) Type 1 and Type 2:

SCD Type 1: Updates records directly without retaining history.

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 SCD Type 2: Retains a history of records, either for all updates or specific columns.

Example Usage

APPLY CHANGES INTO target_table

FROM source_table
KEYS (id)
SEQUENCE BY timestamp
STORED AS SCD TYPE 2;

Benefits
Simplifies CDC: Reduces the complexity of implementing CDC by handling out-of-order
data and providing built-in support for SCD types.

Real-Time Processing: Enables near real-time data updates, making it ideal for applications
that require up-to-date information.

Data Integrity: Ensures accurate and consistent data synchronization between source and
target tables

80.Query the events log to get metrics, perform audit log in, examine lineage.
To query the events log for metrics, perform audit logging, and examine lineage in Databricks,
you can use the following steps:

1. Querying the Events Log for Metrics

Databricks provides system tables that you can query to get metrics related to your Delta Live
Tables (DLT) pipelines. These tables include information about pipeline progress, data quality
checks, and other metrics.
Example Query:

SELECT * FROM delta_live_tables.event_log

WHERE pipeline_id = 'your_pipeline_id';

This query retrieves all events related to a specific pipeline, allowing you to monitor its
progress and performance

2. Performing Audit Logging

Audit logs in Databricks capture detailed usage patterns and events, which are essential for
monitoring and compliance. To access and query audit logs, you need to configure audit log
delivery to a storage location like DBFS (Databricks File System).

Steps to Configure Audit Logging:

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 1. Enable Audit Logging: Follow the instructions to enable audit logging in your Databricks
workspace.

2. Query Audit Logs: Once enabled, you can query the audit logs stored in DBFS.

Example Query:

SELECT * FROM dbfs:/path/to/audit/logs

WHERE event_type = 'user_login';

This query retrieves all user login events from the audit logs

3. Examining Lineage
Data lineage in Databricks helps you understand the flow of data through your pipelines,
including transformations and dependencies. The Delta Live Tables event log contains lineage
information.
Example Query:

SELECT * FROM delta_live_tables.lineage_log

WHERE pipeline_id = 'your_pipeline_id';

This query retrieves lineage information for a specific pipeline, allowing you to trace data
transformations and dependencies

Summary
Metrics: Use the event_log table to query pipeline metrics.

Audit Logging: Enable and query audit logs to monitor usage and compliance.

Lineage: Use the lineage_log table to examine data lineage.

81.Troubleshoot DLT syntax: Identify which notebook in a DLT pipeline produced an error,
identify the need for LIVE in create statement, identify the need for STREAM in from clause.

To troubleshoot Delta Live Tables (DLT) syntax issues, you can follow these steps:

1. Identify Which Notebook Produced an Error

When a DLT pipeline encounters an error, you can use the Databricks UI to identify the specific
notebook and cell that caused the issue:

View Pipeline Events: Navigate to the Delta Live Tables UI and check the event log for your
pipeline. This log provides detailed information about each step, including errors.

Notebook Connection: If your notebook is connected to the pipeline, you can view the
pipeline’s dataflow graph and event log directly from the notebook.

2. Identify the Need for LIVE in CREATE Statement

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 In Delta Live Tables, the LIVE keyword is used to reference tables and views managed by the
pipeline. It ensures that the pipeline correctly tracks dependencies and updates.
Example:

CREATE LIVE TABLE my_table AS

SELECT * FROM source_table;

Purpose: The LIVE keyword indicates that my_table is a managed table within the DLT
pipeline.

3. Identify the Need for STREAM in FROM Clause

When working with streaming data, you need to use the STREAM keyword in the FROM clause to
indicate that the source is a streaming table.

Example:

CREATE LIVE TABLE my_streaming_table AS

SELECT * FROM STREAM(LIVE.source_stream);

Purpose: The STREAM keyword tells the pipeline to treat source_stream as a streaming source,
enabling continuous data processing.

Summary
Error Identification: Use the Delta Live Tables UI or notebook connection to identify which
notebook and cell produced an error.

LIVE Keyword: Required in CREATE statements to reference managed tables and views
within the pipeline.

STREAM Keyword: Required in the FROM clause to indicate streaming sources.

Section 4: Production Pipelines(16%)

82.Identify the benefits of using multiple tasks in Job

Using multiple tasks in a Databricks Job offers several benefits, enhancing both efficiency and
manageability of data workflows. Here are the key advantages:

1. Improved Workflow Organization

Modularity: Breaking down a complex job into smaller, manageable tasks allows for better
organization and modularity. Each task can focus on a specific part of the workflow,
making it easier to develop, debug, and maintain.

Clear Dependencies: Tasks can be organized in a Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG), clearly
defining dependencies and execution order. This ensures that tasks are executed in the

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 correct sequence.

2. Enhanced Performance and Efficiency

Parallel Execution: Multiple tasks can run in parallel, significantly reducing the overall
execution time of the job. This is particularly beneficial for large-scale data processing and
machine learning workflows.

Cluster Reuse: Tasks within a job can share the same cluster, reducing the overhead
associated with spinning up new clusters for each task. This leads to faster job execution
and lower costs.

3. Cost Savings
Resource Optimization: By reusing clusters across tasks, you can optimize resource
utilization and reduce the costs associated with cluster startup and underutilization.

Efficient Scaling: Databricks Jobs can scale efficiently by leveraging multiple tasks,
ensuring that resources are used effectively without unnecessary expenditure.

4. Simplified Monitoring and Management

Unified Monitoring: The Databricks UI provides a unified view of all tasks within a job,
making it easier to monitor progress, identify bottlenecks, and troubleshoot issues.

Automated Alerts: You can set up automated alerts for task failures or completions,
ensuring that you are promptly notified of any issues that need attention.

Example Use Case

Imagine you have a data pipeline that involves extracting data from multiple sources,
transforming it, and then loading it into a data warehouse. By using multiple tasks, you can:

1. Extract Data: Separate tasks for extracting data from different sources.

2. Transform Data: Tasks for cleaning and transforming the data.

3. Load Data: Tasks for loading the transformed data into the data warehouse.

This modular approach ensures that each step is handled efficiently and can be monitored
independently.

83.Set up a predecessor task in Jobs.

To set up a predecessor task in Databricks Jobs, you need to define task dependencies. This
ensures that a task runs only after its predecessor tasks have successfully completed. Here’s
how you can do it:

Steps to Set Up a Predecessor Task

1. Create or Configure a Job:

Navigate to the Databricks workspace and click on Workflows in the sidebar.

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 Click on the job name to open the job configuration.

2. Add Tasks:

Click on the Tasks tab to view the task graph.

Add a new task by clicking the + button.

3. Define Task Dependencies:

When configuring a task, use the depends_on field to specify predecessor tasks.

Example Configuration
Here’s an example of how to set up a job with two tasks where the second task depends on the
first:

jobs:
- name: my-job
tasks:
- task_key: task_1
notebook_task:
notebook_path: /path/to/notebook1
- task_key: task_2
depends_on:
- task_key: task_1
notebook_task:
notebook_path: /path/to/notebook2

In this example:

Task 1 ( task_1 ) runs a notebook located at /path/to/notebook1 .

Task 2 ( task_2 ) runs a notebook located at /path/to/notebook2 and depends on the

successful completion of task_1 .

Benefits of Using Task Dependencies

Sequential Execution: Ensures tasks are executed in the correct order.

Error Handling: Prevents downstream tasks from running if a predecessor task fails.

Modularity: Allows you to break down complex workflows into smaller, manageable tasks.

84.Identify a scenario in which a predecessor task should be set up.

Setting up a predecessor task in Databricks Jobs is essential when you need to ensure that
certain tasks are completed before others can start. Here’s a scenario where this is particularly
useful:

Scenario: ETL Pipeline with Data Validation

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 Imagine you have an ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) pipeline that involves multiple steps,
including data extraction, transformation, validation, and loading into a data warehouse. You
want to ensure that data is validated before it is loaded into the final destination.

Steps in the Pipeline

1. Data Extraction:

Extract data from various sources (e.g., databases, APIs, cloud storage).

2. Data Transformation:

Clean and transform the extracted data to match the required schema.

3. Data Validation:

Validate the transformed data to ensure it meets quality standards (e.g., no missing
values, correct data types).

4. Data Loading:

Load the validated data into the data warehouse.

Setting Up Predecessor Tasks

In this scenario, you would set up predecessor tasks to ensure that each step is completed
before the next one begins:

1. Task 1: Data Extraction:

Extract data from sources.

tasks:
- task_key: extract_data
notebook_task:
notebook_path: /path/to/extract_notebook

2. Task 2: Data Transformation:

Transform the extracted data.

tasks:
- task_key: transform_data
depends_on:
- task_key: extract_data
notebook_task:
notebook_path: /path/to/transform_notebook

3. Task 3: Data Validation:

Validate the transformed data.

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 tasks:
- task_key: validate_data
depends_on:
- task_key: transform_data
notebook_task:
notebook_path: /path/to/validate_notebook

4. Task 4: Data Loading:

Load the validated data into the data warehouse.

tasks:
- task_key: load_data
depends_on:
- task_key: validate_data
notebook_task:
notebook_path: /path/to/load_notebook

Benefits
Data Integrity: Ensures that only validated data is loaded into the data warehouse,
maintaining data quality.

Error Handling: If any task fails (e.g., validation fails), the subsequent tasks do not run,
preventing invalid data from being loaded.

Modularity: Each task can be developed, tested, and maintained independently, improving
the overall manageability of the pipeline.

85.Review a task's execution history.

To review a task's execution history in Databricks, you can use the Databricks UI to access
detailed information about past runs. Here’s how you can do it:

Steps to Review Task Execution History

1. Navigate to Workflows:

In the Databricks workspace, click on Workflows in the sidebar.

2. Select the Job:

Click on the name of the job you want to review. This will open the job details page.

3. View Job Runs:

On the job details page, go to the Runs tab. This tab shows a list of all the runs for the
selected job, including both active and completed runs.

4. Select a Task:

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 Click on a specific run to view its details. This will open the job run details page.

On the job run details page, you can see a list of tasks that were executed as part of the
job run.

5. View Task Run History:

Click on the task you are interested in. This will open the task run details page.

On the task run details page, you can view the history of all runs for that task, including
successful and unsuccessful runs.

Example
Here’s a quick example of what you might see:

Job Name: Data Processing Job

Run ID: 12345

Task Name: Data Transformation

Task Run History:

Run ID: 12345-1

Status: Success

Start Time: 2024-12-16 10:00:00

End Time: 2024-12-16 10:15:00

Run ID: 12345-2

Status: Failed

Start Time: 2024-12-17 10:00:00

End Time: 2024-12-17 10:05:00

Benefits
Detailed Insights: Provides detailed information about each task run, including start and
end times, status, and any error messages.

Troubleshooting: Helps in identifying and troubleshooting issues by examining the history

of task executions.

Performance Monitoring: Allows you to monitor the performance and reliability of your
tasks over time.

86.Identify CRON as a scheduling opportunity.

CRON is a powerful scheduling tool that you can use in Databricks to automate the execution
of jobs at specified times or intervals. Here’s how CRON can be utilized as a scheduling
opportunity:

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 CRON Scheduling in Databricks
CRON Syntax:

CRON expressions allow you to define complex schedules using a simple string format.
This format specifies the exact times and intervals at which a job should run.

Example CRON Expression:

0 0 * * * : This expression schedules a job to run at midnight every day.

Setting Up CRON Scheduling in Databricks

1. Navigate to Workflows:

In the Databricks workspace, click on Workflows in the sidebar.

2. Create or Edit a Job:

Click on the job name to open the job configuration or create a new job.

3. Add a Schedule:

In the job details panel, click Add trigger.

Select Scheduled as the trigger type.

Choose Advanced to use CRON syntax for more control over the schedule.

4. Define the CRON Expression:

Enter your CRON expression in the provided field. Optionally, you can select the Show
Cron Syntax checkbox to edit the schedule in Quartz Cron Syntax.

Benefits of Using CRON Scheduling

Flexibility: CRON expressions provide fine-grained control over job scheduling, allowing
you to specify exact times, days, and intervals.

Automation: Automates repetitive tasks, reducing the need for manual intervention and
ensuring timely execution of jobs.

Efficiency: Helps in optimizing resource usage by scheduling jobs during off-peak hours or
at specific intervals.

Example Use Case

Imagine you have a job that processes daily sales data. You can use a CRON expression to
schedule this job to run at 2 AM every day, ensuring that the data is processed and ready for
analysis by the start of the business day.

schedule:
cron: "0 2 * * *"

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 87.Debug a failed task.

To debug a failed task in Databricks, follow these steps to identify the cause of the failure and
resolve the issue:

Steps to Debug a Failed Task

1. Identify the Failed Task:

Navigate to Workflows in the Databricks sidebar.

Click on Job Runs to see a list of all job runs.

Find the job run that contains the failed task. The Runs tab shows a history of runs,
including successful and failed ones.

Click on the specific job run to view details.

2. View Task Details:

In the job run details page, locate the failed task in the task list.

Click on the failed task to open the Task run details page. This page provides detailed
information about the task, including error messages, logs, and metadata.

3. Examine Error Messages and Logs:

Review the error message displayed on the Task run details page to understand the
nature of the failure.

Check the Driver logs and Executor logs for more detailed information. These logs can
provide insights into what went wrong during the task execution.

4. Use the Apache Spark UI:

If the task involves a Spark job, use the Spark UI to debug the application. The Spark UI
provides detailed information about the job's execution, including stages, tasks, and
performance metrics.

Access the Spark UI by clicking on the View Spark UI link in the task details.

5. Fix the Cause of Failure:

Based on the error messages and logs, identify the root cause of the failure. Common
issues include data quality problems, misconfigurations, or insufficient compute
resources.

Update the task configuration if needed. For example, you might need to adjust the
cluster settings, increase resource quotas, or correct data paths.

6. Re-run the Task:

After fixing the issue, re-run the failed task. You can do this from the job run details
page by clicking on Re-run.

Monitor the task to ensure it completes successfully.

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 Example Scenario
Imagine a task failed due to insufficient memory. The error message in the logs might indicate
an OutOfMemoryError . To resolve this, you could increase the memory allocation for the cluster:

1. Edit Task Configuration:

Click on Edit task in the job details panel.

Under Compute, click Configure to adjust the cluster settings.

Increase the memory allocation and save the changes.

2. Re-run the Task:

Re-run the task to see if the issue is resolved.

By following these steps, you can effectively debug and resolve issues with failed tasks in
Databricks.

88.Set up a retry policy in case of failure.

Setting up a retry policy in Databricks ensures that tasks are automatically retried in case of
failure, improving the robustness of your workflows. Here’s how you can configure a retry
policy for a job:

Steps to Set Up a Retry Policy

1. Navigate to Workflows:

In the Databricks workspace, click on Workflows in the sidebar.

2. Create or Edit a Job:

Click on the job name to open the job configuration or create a new job.

3. Configure Task Settings:

In the job details panel, click on the task you want to configure.

Scroll down to the Retry policy section.

4. Set Retry Policy:

Max Retries: Specify the maximum number of retry attempts.

Min Retry Interval: Define the minimum interval between retries.

Retry on Timeout: Enable this option if you want the task to be retried in case of a
timeout.

Example Configuration
Here’s an example of how to set up a retry policy for a task:

tasks:
- task_key: my_task

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 notebook_task:
notebook_path: /path/to/notebook
max_retries: 3
min_retry_interval_millis: 60000 # 1 minute
retry_on_timeout: true

Benefits of a Retry Policy

Increased Resilience: Automatically retries tasks that fail due to transient issues, reducing
the need for manual intervention.

Improved Reliability: Ensures that temporary failures (e.g., network issues, resource
contention) do not cause the entire job to fail.

Cost Efficiency: By specifying a retry interval, you can avoid immediate retries that might
fail again due to the same transient issue.

89.Create an alert in the case of a failed task.

To create an alert for a failed task in Databricks, you can set up email or system notifications.
Here’s how you can do it:

Steps to Create an Alert for a Failed Task

1. Navigate to Workflows:

In the Databricks workspace, click on Workflows in the sidebar.

2. Create or Edit a Job:

Click on the job name to open the job configuration or create a new job.

3. Add Notifications:

In the job details panel, click Edit notifications.

4. Add Email Notification:

Click Add Notification and select Email address in the Destination field.

Enter the email address where you want to receive notifications.

Check the box for Failure to receive alerts when a task fails.

Click Confirm to save the notification settings.

1

Example Configuration
Here’s an example of setting up an email notification for a failed task:

tasks:
- task_key: my_task

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 notebook_task:
notebook_path: /path/to/notebook
notifications:
- email: "[email protected]"
on_failure: true

System Notifications
You can also set up system notifications to integrate with tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams,
PagerDuty, or any webhook-based service:

1. Add System Notification:

Click Add Notification and select System destination in the Destination field.

Choose the system destination (e.g., Slack, Microsoft Teams).

Check the box for Failure to receive alerts when a task fails.

Click Confirm to save the notification settings.

Benefits
Immediate Alerts: Receive instant notifications when a task fails, allowing you to take
prompt action.

Integration: Seamlessly integrate with popular communication and incident management

tools.

Customization: Configure notifications for different events (e.g., job start, success, failure)
and multiple destinations.

90.Identify that an alert can be sent via email.

you can send alerts via email using Databricks. Databricks allows you to configure email
notifications for various events, such as job starts, completions, failures, or when a job exceeds
a certain duration. You can set up these notifications to be sent to one or more email addresses
To configure email notifications in Databricks:

1. Navigate to the Job Details Panel: Go to the job you want to monitor.

2. Edit Notifications: Click on "Edit notifications" in the job details panel.

3. Add Email Notification: Click on "+ Add" next to Notifications and select "Email" as the
destination.

4. Configure Notification Types: Choose the types of events (e.g., job start, completion,
failure) for which you want to receive email alerts.

5. Save Settings: Confirm and save your notification settings.

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 Additionally, you can use custom scripts within Databricks notebooks to send emails
programmatically using services like AWS SNS or SMTP servers

Section 5: Data Governance(9%)

91.Identify one of the four areas of data governance.
One of the four key areas of data governance in a Databricks environment is unifying data and
AI management. This involves establishing a comprehensive governance process that ensures
the availability, usability, integrity, and security of data and AI assets. By unifying management,
organizations can streamline data operations, improve data quality, and enhance decision-
making capabilities

92.Compare and contrast meta stores and catalogs.

Meta stores and catalogs serve different purposes in managing and organizing data,
particularly in environments like Databricks.

Meta Stores
Definition: A meta store is a centralized repository that stores metadata about data assets.
It includes information such as schema definitions, table locations, and data types.

Functionality: Meta stores manage metadata for various data sources, ensuring
consistency and accessibility. They are crucial for data discovery, data lineage, and
governance.

Example: In Databricks, the Hive Metastore is commonly used to manage metadata for
tables and databases.

Catalogs
Definition: Catalogs are collections of data assets, such as tables and views, organized
within a specific namespace. They provide a structured way to manage and access data.

Functionality: Catalogs help in organizing data assets into logical groupings, making it
easier to manage permissions, access controls, and data governance policies.

Example: Databricks Unity Catalog is an example that provides a unified governance

solution for data and AI assets, allowing for fine-grained access control and auditing.

Comparison
Scope: Meta stores focus on metadata management, while catalogs organize actual data
assets.

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 Usage: Meta stores are used for maintaining metadata consistency and supporting data
governance, whereas catalogs are used for structuring and managing data access.

Integration: Catalogs often rely on meta stores to retrieve metadata about the data assets
they manage.

93.Identify Unity Catalog securable.

Unity Catalog in Databricks secures data through a hierarchical model of securable objects,
each with specific privileges that can be granted to users, groups, or service principals. Here
are the main securable objects in Unity Catalog:

1. Metastore: The top-level container for metadata. Privileges on the metastore can be
granted to manage catalogs within it.

2. Catalog: Organizes data assets and can contain schemas, tables, and views. Privileges on
a catalog can be inherited by all objects within it.

3. Schema: Also known as databases, schemas contain tables and views. Privileges on a
schema can be inherited by all tables and views within it.

4. Table: The lowest level in the hierarchy, tables can be managed or external. Privileges on
tables control access to the data they contain.

5. View: Read-only objects created from queries on tables. Privileges on views control access
to the data they present.

6. Volume: Storage containers for data, either managed or external. Privileges on volumes
control access to the data stored within them.

7. Function: User-defined functions or MLflow registered models contained within a schema.

Privileges in Unity Catalog are hierarchical, meaning that granting a privilege at a higher level
(like a catalog) automatically grants that privilege to all lower-level objects (like schemas and
tables) within that catalog

94.Define a service principal

A service principal in Databricks is an identity created for use with automated tools, jobs, and
applications. It provides API-only access to Databricks resources, enhancing security by
avoiding the use of user or group credentials for automation purposes.
Service principals are particularly useful for:

Automated Jobs: Running scheduled tasks without relying on user credentials.

CI/CD Pipelines: Integrating Databricks with continuous integration and deployment

workflows.

Scripts and Applications: Allowing scripts and external applications to interact with
Databricks securely.

Service principals can be granted specific roles and permissions, similar to users, to control
their access to resources within Databricks

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 95.Identify the cluster security modes compatible with Unity Catalog.
Unity Catalog in Databricks supports the following cluster security modes:

1. Single User Access Mode: This mode is designed for clusters used by a single user. It
provides the highest level of security by ensuring that only the cluster owner can access
the data and resources.

2. Shared Access Mode: This mode allows multiple users to share the same cluster. It is
recommended for most workloads as it supports fine-grained access control and user
isolation, ensuring that each user's code runs in a secure, isolated environment.

3. No Isolation Shared Mode: This is a legacy mode that does not support Unity Catalog. It is
primarily used for backward compatibility with the Hive Metastore

96.Create a UC-enabled all-purpose cluster.

To create a Unity Catalog (UC)-enabled all-purpose cluster in Databricks, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to Compute:

In the Databricks workspace sidebar, click on Compute.

2. Create Cluster:

Click the Create Cluster button.

3. Cluster Configuration:

Cluster Name: Enter a name for your cluster.

Cluster Mode: Select Standard.

Databricks Runtime Version: Choose a runtime version that supports Unity Catalog
(e.g., Databricks Runtime 10.0 or above).

Access Mode: Select Single User or Shared to ensure compatibility with Unity Catalog.

Enable Unity Catalog: Ensure that the cluster is configured to use Unity Catalog by
selecting the appropriate options in the cluster configuration.

4. Advanced Options:

Libraries: If needed, you can add libraries or JAR files.

Tags: Add any tags for organizational purposes.

Autoscaling: Enable autoscaling if required.

5. Create:

Click the Create Cluster button to spin up your UC-enabled all-purpose cluster.

Your cluster will start and be ready to use shortly. You can now leverage Unity Catalog for fine-
grained access control and data governance.

97.Create a DBSQL warehouse.

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 To create a Databricks SQL (DBSQL) warehouse, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to SQL Warehouses:

In the Databricks workspace sidebar, click on SQL Warehouses.

2. Create SQL Warehouse:

Click the Create SQL Warehouse button.

3. Configure Warehouse:

Name: Enter a name for your SQL warehouse.

Cluster Size: Choose the size of the cluster based on your workload requirements.

Auto Stop: Set the idle time after which the warehouse should automatically stop to
save costs.

Scaling: Configure the minimum and maximum number of clusters to handle concurrent
queries.

4. Advanced Options (Optional):

You can configure additional settings such as tags, libraries, and network
configurations if needed.

5. Create:

Click the Create button to finalize the setup.

Your SQL warehouse will start automatically and be ready for use. You can now run SQL
queries, create dashboards, and connect to BI tools using this warehouse

98.Identify how to query a three-layer namespace.

To query a three-layer namespace in Databricks, particularly when using Unity Catalog, you
need to follow the format: <catalog-name>.<schema-name>.<table-name> . Here's how you can do it:

1. Select the Catalog:

Ensure you have the necessary permissions to use the catalog. For example, USE CATALOG

my_catalog; .

2. Select the Schema:

Similarly, ensure you have permissions to use the schema. For example, USE SCHEMA

my_catalog.my_schema; .

3. Query the Table:

Use the fully qualified name to query the table. For example:

SELECT * FROM my_catalog.my_schema.my_table;

Example

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 If you have a catalog named sales , a schema named transactions , and a table named orders ,
your query would look like this:

SELECT * FROM sales.transactions.orders;

Permissions
Ensure you have the following permissions:

USE_CATALOG on the catalog.

USE_SCHEMA on the schema.

SELECT on the table.

These permissions are necessary to access and query the data within the three-layer
namespace

99.Implement data object access control

To implement data object access control in Databricks, you can use Access Control Lists
(ACLs) to manage permissions for various workspace objects. Here’s a step-by-step guide:

Step-by-Step Guide to Implement Data Object Access Control

1. Enable Access Control:

Ensure your Databricks workspace is on the Premium plan or above, as access control
features require this level.

Navigate to the Admin Console and enable access control for your workspace.

2. Define Roles and Permissions:

Identify the roles and permissions needed for your organization. Common roles include
Admin, Data Engineer, Data Scientist, and Business Analyst.

Use predefined roles or create custom roles based on your requirements.

3. Assign Permissions:

Workspace Objects: Assign permissions to users or groups for notebooks, clusters,

jobs, and other workspace objects.

Example: To grant a user read access to a notebook, navigate to the notebook, click
on Permissions, and add the user with the CAN READ permission.

Data Objects: Use Unity Catalog to manage permissions for catalogs, schemas, tables,
and views.

Example: To grant a user select access to a table, use the following SQL command:

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 GRANT SELECT ON TABLE my_catalog.my_schema.my_table TO
`[email protected]`;

4. Fine-Grained Access Control:

Implement column-level and row-level security using dynamic views.

Example: Create a view that filters rows based on the current user:

CREATE VIEW my_catalog.my_schema.filtered_table AS

SELECT * FROM my_catalog.my_schema.my_table
WHERE user_id = current_user();

5. Audit and Monitor:

Regularly audit permissions and access logs to ensure compliance and security.

Use Databricks audit logs to track changes and access patterns.

Example: Granting Permissions

Here’s an example of how to grant different levels of access to a table in Unity Catalog:

-- Grant SELECT permission to a user

GRANT SELECT ON TABLE my_catalog.my_schema.my_table TO `[email protected]
m`;

-- Grant INSERT permission to a group

GRANT INSERT ON TABLE my_catalog.my_schema.my_table TO `data_engineers
`;

-- Revoke DELETE permission from a user

REVOKE DELETE ON TABLE my_catalog.my_schema.my_table FROM `user@exampl
e.com`;

By following these steps, you can effectively manage data object access control in Databricks,
ensuring that users have the appropriate permissions to access and manipulate data securely

100.Identify colocating meta stores with a workspace as best practice.

Colocating meta stores with a workspace is considered a best practice in Databricks for
several reasons:

1. Performance Optimization: By colocating the metastore with the workspace, you reduce
latency and improve query performance. This is because the metadata retrieval and data
access operations are faster when they are in the same region.

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 2. Simplified Management: Managing a single metastore for a workspace simplifies
administrative tasks. It ensures that all metadata is centralized, making it easier to maintain
consistency and apply governance policies.

3. Cost Efficiency: Colocating helps in reducing data transfer costs between regions. When
the metastore and workspace are in the same region, you avoid cross-region data transfer
charges.

4. Enhanced Security: Keeping the metastore and workspace in the same region can
enhance security by reducing the attack surface and ensuring that data governance
policies are consistently applied

101.Identify using service principals for connections as best practice.

Using service principals for connections is considered a best practice for several reasons:

1. Enhanced Security: Service principals provide a secure way to authenticate applications

and automated tools without using user credentials. This reduces the risk of credential
exposure and unauthorized access.

2. Granular Access Control: You can assign specific roles and permissions to service
principals, ensuring that they have only the necessary access to perform their tasks. This
follows the principle of least privilege.

3. Automated Credential Management: Service principals support automated credential

management, including rotation and expiration, which helps maintain security without
manual intervention.

4. Audit and Monitoring: Service principals allow for better tracking and auditing of actions
performed by automated processes. This helps in identifying and responding to potential
security incidents.

5. Scalability: Using service principals simplifies the management of permissions and access
for large-scale deployments and integrations, making it easier to scale your infrastructure
securely

102.Identify the segregation of business units across catalog as best practice.

Segregating business units across catalogs is considered a best practice in Databricks for
several reasons:

1. Data Isolation: By assigning each business unit its own catalog, you ensure that data is
isolated and access is controlled at a granular level. This helps prevent unauthorized
access and maintains data privacy.

2. Simplified Governance: Managing permissions and governance policies becomes easier

when each business unit has its own catalog. You can apply specific policies and controls
tailored to the needs of each unit.

3. Improved Performance: Segregating data into different catalogs can enhance performance
by reducing the complexity of queries and metadata management. This is particularly

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 beneficial for large organizations with diverse data needs.

4. Organizational Alignment: Catalogs can mirror the organizational structure, making it

intuitive for users to find and manage data relevant to their business unit. This alignment
helps in maintaining clarity and efficiency in data operations.

Example
If you have multiple business units such as Sales, Marketing, and Finance, you can create
separate catalogs for each:

sales_catalog

marketing_catalog

finance_catalog

Each catalog can then contain schemas and tables specific to the respective business unit,
ensuring clear separation and management.

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