What is ETL? Definition

“ETL” is a common computing procedure, which stands for “Extract, Transform, and Load.” “ETL” is used when you have multiple data sources that you want to bring into a centralized database for querying/analysis.

First, you “extract” raw data from its original source (e.g. an application, database, system, etc.).

Second, you “transform” the data by processing it, which includes data cleaning, data combining, and data deduplication. Data transformation ensures compatibility with your database’s structure/format.

Third, you “load” the transformed data into your database (e.g. data warehouse, data store, data lake, etc.), which is now ready for querying/analysis.