2 posts tagged with "data-pipeline"

When building data processing systems, it's easy to think all pipelines are similar - they take data in, transform it, and produce outputs. However, indexing pipelines have unique characteristics that set them apart from traditional ETL, analytics, or transactional systems. Let's explore what makes indexing special.

At its core, data indexing is the process of transforming raw data into a format that's optimized for retrieval. Unlike an arbitrary application that may generate new source-of-truth data, indexing pipelines process existing data in various ways while maintaining trackability back to the original source. This intrinsic nature - being a derivative rather than source of truth - creates unique challenges and requirements.