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Data engineering

Databricks

The lakehouse platform from the creators of Apache Spark: data engineering, analytics and AI in one place.

  • Data lakehouse platform
  • Typical project: 8–16 weeks
  • Databricks
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Overview

Databricks keeps data in open formats (Delta Lake) in your own cloud storage and runs Apache Spark and SQL engines on top. Data engineers, analysts and data scientists work in the same platform, governed by Unity Catalog.

It shines at scale: big pipelines, streaming and machine learning. It also offers SQL warehouses for BI tools and features for building AI apps and agents on your own data.

Names you'll meet

  • Apache Spark
  • Delta Lake
  • Unity Catalog
  • MLflow
  • Power BI

What's inside

  1. 1

    Delta Lake

    An open table format with transactions and time travel.

  2. 2

    Notebooks & jobs

    Python, SQL and Scala, scheduled as pipelines.

  3. 3

    Databricks SQL

    Warehouses for BI tools and analysts.

  4. 4

    Unity Catalog

    One place for permissions, lineage and discovery.

  5. 5

    AI & MLflow

    Train, track and serve models; build AI apps on your data.

Is it right for you?

Best for

  • High data volumes and complex transformations
  • Streaming and machine learning alongside BI
  • Keeping data in open formats in your own storage

Think twice if…

  • Your data is small and your team only writes SQL; a warehouse may be simpler
  • You won't set guardrails; clusters left running get expensive

Typical projects

  1. Lakehouse foundation8–16 weeks
  2. Migration from Hadoop or a legacy warehouse4–9 months
  3. ML or GenAI use case on the lakehouse6–16 weeks

Typical ranges, not quotes. Scope, data and team size move them most.

Roles you'll hire

  • Data engineer (Spark / PySpark)
  • Data architect
  • ML engineer
  • Analytics engineer
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Questions to ask a vendor

  1. 1Are you a Databricks partner, and how many certified engineers do you have?
  2. 2How will you set up Unity Catalog and access controls?
  3. 3Which cost controls will you put in place?
  4. 4Can you show a migration like ours, with run costs before and after?

Find Databricks partners

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