Ahoy! Welcome to the eighth installment of Captain's Compass, your ultimate guide to everything related to data orchestration. In this post, our data advocate Arynn Martin-Post sets sail on the topic of ephemeral files - what are they, and how are they used?
Defining Ephemeral Files
Firstly, let's clarify the term itself. "Ephemeral" means "lasting for a short time," and this definition perfectly encapsulates the nature of ephemeral files within a system. Imagine these files as temporary placeholders representative of what a file might look like at different stages in your pipeline.
Ephemeral Files in Practice
To gain a deeper understanding, let's examine how Shipyard implements ephemeral files. In Shipyard, fleets of connected tools are executed within containers. While that container's process is active, an ephemeral file is passed from one vessel to another within the fleet. This file serves as a snapshot of the data at a specific stage in the pipeline's journey.
However, the ephemeral file's lifespan is inherently short-lived. Once the pipeline completes its execution and the task within the container is complete, the file ceases to exist. This ephemeral characteristic ensures that the file is only in Shipyard's system when the data pipeline is actively being executed.
Practical Implications
While ephemeral files are very much real during the pipeline's execution, they are not directly accessible afterward. This limited accessibility means that you cannot retrieve these files after the pipeline concludes its tasks. Not only are you unable to export these intermediary files to you local drive, but you will also not be able to find them anywhere in Shipyard's system.
However, this has a major benefit. Since these files are temporary, they contribute to a more efficient and optimized system by reducing the overall storage burden. Also, in terms of data security, you can be assured that your files are inaccessible from within our system while in process.
Building Steps Between Fleets
When creating links between different vessels in a fleet, the outputs and inputs of those vessels often ask for a file name. These are referring to ephemeral files. As data moves through different stages of processing, the output of one ephemeral file in one vessel becomes the input file in the following vessel.
Conclusion
Ephemeral file storage is a crucial component in modern data orchestration systems. Its transient nature allows for optimized data processing, reduced storage overhead, and seamless data transfer between different stages in a pipeline. Understanding the role of ephemeral files can help people in all data roles explore the world of orchestration.
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