Book Image

Pentaho 3.2 Data Integration: Beginner's Guide

Book Image

Pentaho 3.2 Data Integration: Beginner's Guide

Overview of this book

Pentaho Data Integration (a.k.a. Kettle) is a full-featured open source ETL (Extract, Transform, and Load) solution. Although PDI is a feature-rich tool, effectively capturing, manipulating, cleansing, transferring, and loading data can get complicated.This book is full of practical examples that will help you to take advantage of Pentaho Data Integration's graphical, drag-and-drop design environment. You will quickly get started with Pentaho Data Integration by following the step-by-step guidance in this book. The useful tips in this book will encourage you to exploit powerful features of Pentaho Data Integration and perform ETL operations with ease.Starting with the installation of the PDI software, this book will teach you all the key PDI concepts. Each chapter introduces new features, allowing you to gradually get involved with the tool. First, you will learn to work with plain files, and to do all kinds of data manipulation. Then, the book gives you a primer on databases and teaches you how to work with databases inside PDI. Not only that, you'll be given an introduction to data warehouse concepts and you will learn to load data in a data warehouse. After that, you will learn to implement simple and complex processes.Once you've learned all the basics, you will build a simple datamart that will serve to reinforce all the concepts learned through the book.

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Pentaho 3.2 Data Integration: Beginner's Guide
Apr, 2010 | 492 pages
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Table of Contents (27 chapters)
Pentaho 3.2 Data Integration Beginner's Guide
Pentaho 3.2 Data Integration Beginner's Guide
Credits
Credits
Foreword
Foreword
The Kettle Project
The Kettle Project
About the Author
About the Author
About the Reviewers
About the Reviewers
Preface
Preface
Free Chapter
1
Getting Started with Pentaho Data Integration
Getting Started with Pentaho Data Integration
Pentaho Data Integration and Pentaho BI Suite
Pentaho Data Integration
Installing PDI
Time for action – installing PDI
Launching the PDI graphical designer: Spoon
Time for action – starting and customizing Spoon
Time for action – creating a hello world transformation
Time for action – running and previewing the hello_world transformation
Installing MySQL
Time for action – installing MySQL on Windows
Time for action – installing MySQL on Ubuntu
Summary
2
Getting Started with Transformations
Getting Started with Transformations
Reading data from files
Time for action – reading results of football matches from files
Time for action – reading all your files at a time using a single Text file input step
Time for action – reading all your files at a time using a single Text file input step and regular expressions
Sending data to files
Time for action – sending the results of matches to a plain file
Getting system information
Time for action – updating a file with news about examinations
Time for action – running the examination transformation from a terminal window
XML files
Time for action – getting data from an XML file with information about countries
Summary
3
Basic Data Manipulation
Basic Data Manipulation
Basic calculations
Time for action – reviewing examinations by using the Calculator step
Time for action – reviewing examinations by using the Formula step
Calculations on groups of rows
Time for action – calculating World Cup statistics by grouping data
Filtering
Time for action – counting frequent words by filtering
Looking up data
Time for action – finding out which language people speak
Summary
4
Controlling the Flow of Data
Controlling the Flow of Data
Splitting streams
Time for action – browsing new PDI features by copyinga dataset
Time for action – assigning tasks by distributing
Splitting the stream based on conditions
Time for action – assigning tasks by filtering priorities with the Filter rows step
Time for action – assigning tasks by filtering priorities with the Switch/ Case step
Merging streams
Time for action – gathering progress and merging all together
Time for action – giving priority to Bouchard by using Append Stream
Summary
5
Transforming Your Data with JavaScript Code and the JavaScript Step
Transforming Your Data with JavaScript Code and the JavaScript Step
Doing simple tasks with the JavaScript step
Time for action – calculating scores with JavaScript
Time for action – testing the calculation of averages
Enriching the code
Time for action – calculating flexible scores by using variables
Reading and parsing unstructured files
Time for action – changing a list of house descriptions with JavaScript
Avoiding coding by using purpose-built steps
Summary
6
Transforming the Row Set
Transforming the Row Set
Converting rows to columns
Time for action – enhancing a films file by converting rows to columns
Time for action – calculating total scores by performances by country
Normalizing data
Time for action – enhancing the matches file by normalizing the dataset
Generating a custom time dimension dataset by using Kettle variables
Time for action – creating the time dimension dataset
Time for action – getting variables for setting the default starting date
Summary
7
Validating Data and Handling Errors
Validating Data and Handling Errors
Capturing errors
Time for action – capturing errors while calculating the ageof a film
Time for action – aborting when there are too many errors
Time for action – treating errors that may appear
Avoiding unexpected errors by validating data
Time for action – validating genres with a Regex Evaluation step
Time for action – checking films file with the Data Validator
Summary
8
Working with Databases
Working with Databases
Introducing the Steel Wheels sample database
Time for action – creating a connection with the Steel Wheels database
Time for action – exploring the sample database
Querying a database
Time for action – getting data about shipped orders
Time for action – getting orders in a range of dates by using parameters
Time for action – getting orders in a range of dates by using variables
Sending data to a database
Time for action – loading a table with a list of manufacturers
Time for action – inserting new products or updating existent ones
Time for action – testing the update of existing products
Eliminating data from a database
Time for action – deleting data about discontinued items
Summary
9
Performing Advanced Operations with Databases
Performing Advanced Operations with Databases
Preparing the environment
Time for action – populating the Jigsaw database
Looking up data in a database
Time for action – using a Database lookup step to create a list of products to buy
Time for action – using a Database join step to create a list of suggested products to buy
Introducing dimensional modeling
Loading dimensions with data
Time for action – loading a region dimension with a Combination lookup/update step
Time for action – testing the transformation that loads the region dimension
Time for action – keeping a history of product changes with the Dimension lookup/update step
Time for action – testing the transformation that keeps a historyof product changes
Summary
10
Creating Basic Task Flows
Creating Basic Task Flows
Introducing PDI jobs
Time for action – creating a simple hello world job
Receiving arguments and parameters in a job
Time for action – customizing the hello world file with arguments and parameters
Running jobs from a terminal window
Time for action – executing the hello world job from a terminal window
Using named parameters and command-line arguments in transformations
Time for action – calling the hello world transformation with fixed arguments and parameters
Deciding between the use of a command-line argument and a named parameter
Running job entries under conditions
Time for action – sending a sales report and warning the administrator if something is wrong
Summary
11
Creating Advanced Transformations and Jobs
Creating Advanced Transformations and Jobs
Enhancing your processes with the use of variables
Time for action – updating a file with news about examinations by setting a variable with the name of the file
Enhancing the design of your processes
Time for action – generating files with top scores
Time for action – calculating the top scores with a subtransformation
Time for action – splitting the generation of top scores by copying and getting rows
Time for action – generating the files with top scores by nesting jobs
Iterating jobs and transformations
Time for action – generating custom files by executing a transformation for every input row
Summary
12
Developing and Implementing a Simple Datamart
Developing and Implementing a Simple Datamart
Exploring the sales datamart
Loading the dimensions
Time for action – loading dimensions for the sales datamart
Extending the sales datamart model
Loading a fact table with aggregated data
Time for action – loading the sales fact table by looking up dimensions
Getting facts and dimensions together
Time for action – loading the fact table using a range of dates obtained from the command line
Time for action – loading the sales star
Getting rid of administrative tasks
Time for action – automating the loading of the sales datamart
Summary
13
Taking it Further
Taking it Further
PDI best practices
Getting the most out of PDI
Integrating PDI and the Pentaho BI suite
PDI Enterprise Edition and Kettle Developer Support
Summary
Working with Repositories
Working with Repositories
Creating a repository
Time for action – creating a PDI repository
Working with the repository storage system
Time for action – logging into a repository
Examining and modifying the contents of a repository with the Repository explorer
Migrating from a file-based system to a repository-based system and vice-versa
Summary
Pan and Kitchen: Launching Transformations and Jobs from the Command Line
Pan and Kitchen: Launching Transformations and Jobs from the Command Line
Running transformations and jobs stored in files
Running transformations and jobs from a repository
Checking the exit code
Providing options when running Pan and Kitchen
Quick Reference: Steps and Job Entries
Quick Reference: Steps and Job Entries
Transformation steps
Job entries
Spoon Shortcuts
Spoon Shortcuts
General shortcuts
Designing transformations and jobs
Grids
Repositories
Introducing PDI 4 Features
Introducing PDI 4 Features
Agile BI
Visual improvements for designing transformations and jobs
Time for action – creating a hop with the mouse-over assistance
Enterprise features
Summary
Pop Quiz Answers
Pop Quiz Answers
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Index
Index

Time for action – loading the fact table using a range of dates obtained from the command line

Now you will get the range of dates from the command line and load the fact table using that range:

  1. Create a new transformation.

  2. With a Get system info step, get the first two arguments from the command line and name them date_from and date_to.

  3. By using a couple of steps, check that the arguments are not null, have the proper format (yyyy-mm-dd), and are valid dates.

  4. If something is wrong with the arguments, abort.

  5. If the arguments are valid, use a Set variables step to set two variables named DATE_FROM and DATE_TO.

  6. Save the transformation in the same folder you saved the transformation that loads the fact table.

  7. Test the transformation by providing valid and invalid arguments to see that it works as expected.

  8. Create a job and save it in the same folder you saved the job that loads the dimensions.

  9. Drag to the canvas a START and two transformation job entries, and link them one after the other.

  10. Use the first...

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