Staging

The goal of staging is to bring the data closer to the database engine so that the modification of the destination (final) dataset happens faster and without errors. dlt, when asked, creates two staging areas:

1. A staging dataset used by the merge and replace loads to deduplicate and merge data with the destination.
2. A staging storage which is typically an S3/GCP bucket where loader files are copied before they are loaded by the destination.

Staging dataset

dlt creates a staging dataset when the write disposition of any of the loaded resources requires it. It creates and migrates required tables exactly like for the main dataset. Data in staging tables is truncated when the load step begins and only for tables that will participate in it. Such a staging dataset has the same name as the dataset passed to dlt.pipeline but with a _staging suffix in the name. Alternatively, you can provide your own staging dataset pattern or use a fixed name, identical for all the configured datasets.

[destination.postgres]
staging_dataset_name_layout="staging_%s"

The entry above switches the pattern to a staging_ prefix and, for example, for a dataset with the name github_data, dlt will create staging_github_data.

To configure a static staging dataset name, you can do the following (we use the destination factory):

import dlt

dest_ = dlt.destinations.postgres(staging_dataset_name_layout="_dlt_staging")

All pipelines using dest_ as the destination will use the staging_dataset to store staging tables. Make sure that your pipelines are not overwriting each other's tables.

Cleanup staging dataset automatically

dlt does not truncate tables in the staging dataset at the end of the load. Data that is left after contains all the extracted data and may be useful for debugging. If you prefer to truncate it, put the following line in config.toml:

[load]
truncate_staging_dataset=true

Staging storage

dlt allows chaining destinations where the first one (staging) is responsible for uploading the files from the local filesystem to the remote storage. It then generates follow-up jobs for the second destination that (typically) copy the files from remote storage into the destination.

Currently, only one destination, the filesystem, can be used as staging. The following destinations can copy remote files:

1. Azure Synapse
2. Athena
3. Bigquery
4. Dremio
5. Redshift
6. Snowflake

How to use

In essence, you need to set up two destinations and then pass them to dlt.pipeline. Below, we'll use filesystem staging with Parquet files to load into the redshift destination.

1. Set up the S3 bucket and filesystem staging.

   Please follow our guide in the filesystem destination documentation. Test the staging as a standalone destination to make sure that files go where you want them. In your secrets.toml, you should now have a working filesystem configuration:

   [destination.filesystem]
   bucket_url = "s3://[your_bucket_name]" # replace with your bucket name
   
   [destination.filesystem.credentials]
   aws_access_key_id = "please set me up!" # copy the access key here
   aws_secret_access_key = "please set me up!" # copy the secret access key here

2. Set up the Redshift destination.

   Please follow our guide in the redshift destination documentation. In your secrets.toml, you added:

   # Keep it at the top of your TOML file, before any section starts
   destination.redshift.credentials="redshift://loader:<password>@localhost/dlt_data?connect_timeout=15"

3. Authorize the Redshift cluster to access the staging bucket.

   By default, dlt will forward the credentials configured for filesystem to the Redshift COPY command. If you are fine with this, move to the next step.

4. Chain staging to destination and request Parquet file format.

   Pass the staging argument to dlt.pipeline. It works like the destination argument:

   # Create a dlt pipeline that will load
   # chess player data to the redshift destination
   # via staging on S3
   pipeline = dlt.pipeline(
       pipeline_name='chess_pipeline',
       destination='redshift',
       staging='filesystem', # add this to activate the staging location
       dataset_name='player_data'
   )

   dlt will automatically select an appropriate loader file format for the staging files. Below, we explicitly specify the Parquet file format (just to demonstrate how to do it):

   info = pipeline.run(chess(), loader_file_format="parquet")

5. Run the pipeline script.

   Run the pipeline script as usual.

tip

Please note that dlt does not delete loaded files from the staging storage after the load is complete, but it truncates previously loaded files.

How to prevent staging files truncation

Before dlt loads data to the staging storage, it truncates previously loaded files. To prevent this and keep the whole history of loaded files, you can use the following parameter:

[destination.redshift]
truncate_tables_on_staging_destination_before_load=false

caution

The Athena destination only truncates non-iceberg tables with replace merge_disposition. Therefore, the parameter truncate_tables_on_staging_destination_before_load only controls the truncation of corresponding files for these tables.