Databases
Files

How to load data from Excel File to Apache Iceberg

Learn how to use Airbyte to synchronize your Excel File data into Apache Iceberg within minutes.

TL;DR

This can be done by building a data pipeline manually, usually a Python script (you can leverage a tool as Apache Airflow for this). This process can take more than a full week of development. Or it can be done in minutes on Airbyte in three easy steps:

  1. set up Excel File as a source connector (using Auth, or usually an API key)
  2. set up Apache Iceberg as a destination connector
  3. define which data you want to transfer and how frequently

You can choose to self-host the pipeline using Airbyte Open Source or have it managed for you with Airbyte Cloud.

This tutorial’s purpose is to show you how.

What is Excel File

Excel File is a software application developed by Microsoft that allows users to create, edit, and analyze spreadsheets. It is widely used in businesses, schools, and personal finance to organize and manipulate data. Excel File offers a range of features including formulas, charts, graphs, and pivot tables that enable users to perform complex calculations and data analysis. It also allows users to collaborate on spreadsheets in real-time and share them with others. Excel File is available on multiple platforms including Windows, Mac, and mobile devices, making it a versatile tool for data management and analysis.

What is Apache Iceberg

For huge analytical tables, Apache Iceberg is a high-performance format. Using Apache Iceberg, engines such as Spark, Trino, Flink, Presto, Hive and Impala can safely work with the same tables, at the same time, providing the reliability and simplicity of SQL tables to big data. With Apache Iceberg, you can merge new data, update existing rows, and delete specific rows. Data files can be eagerly rewritten or deleted deltas can be used to make updates faster.

Integrate Excel File with Apache Iceberg in minutes

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Prerequisites

  1. A Excel File account to transfer your customer data automatically from.
  2. A Apache Iceberg account.
  3. An active Airbyte Cloud account, or you can also choose to use Airbyte Open Source locally. You can follow the instructions to set up Airbyte on your system using docker-compose.

Airbyte is an open-source data integration platform that consolidates and streamlines the process of extracting and loading data from multiple data sources to data warehouses. It offers pre-built connectors, including Excel File and Apache Iceberg, for seamless data migration.

When using Airbyte to move data from Excel File to Apache Iceberg, it extracts data from Excel File using the source connector, converts it into a format Apache Iceberg can ingest using the provided schema, and then loads it into Apache Iceberg via the destination connector. This allows businesses to leverage their Excel File data for advanced analytics and insights within Apache Iceberg, simplifying the ETL process and saving significant time and resources.

Step 1: Set up Excel File as a source connector

1. Open the Airbyte platform and navigate to the "Sources" tab on the left-hand side of the screen.
2. Click on the "Excel File" source connector and select "Create new connection."
3. In the "Connection Configuration" page, enter a name for your connection and select the version of Excel you are using.
4. Click on "Add Credential" and enter the path to your Excel file in the "File Path" field.
5. If your Excel file is password-protected, enter the password in the "Password" field.
6. Click on "Test" to ensure that the connection is successful.
7. Once the connection is successful, click on "Create Connection" to save your settings.
8. You can now use this connection to extract data from your Excel file and integrate it with other data sources on Airbyte.

Step 2: Set up Apache Iceberg as a destination connector

1. Open the Airbyte platform and navigate to the "Destinations" tab on the left-hand side of the screen.
2. Click on the "Apache Iceberg" destination connector and select "Create new connection."
3. Enter a name for your connection and provide the necessary credentials for your Apache Iceberg database, including the host, port, database name, username, and password.
4. Test the connection to ensure that it is successful. 5. Select the tables or data sources that you want to replicate to your Apache Iceberg database.
6. Configure any additional settings or options for your connection, such as the frequency of data replication or any transformations that you want to apply to your data.
7. Save your connection and start the replication process.
8. Monitor the progress of your data replication and troubleshoot any issues that may arise.
9. Once the replication process is complete, verify that your data has been successfully replicated to your Apache Iceberg database.
10. Use your Apache Iceberg database to analyze and query your data as needed.

Step 3: Set up a connection to sync your Excel File data to Apache Iceberg

Once you've successfully connected Excel File as a data source and Apache Iceberg as a destination in Airbyte, you can set up a data pipeline between them with the following steps:

  1. Create a new connection: On the Airbyte dashboard, navigate to the 'Connections' tab and click the '+ New Connection' button.
  2. Choose your source: Select Excel File from the dropdown list of your configured sources.
  3. Select your destination: Choose Apache Iceberg from the dropdown list of your configured destinations.
  4. Configure your sync: Define the frequency of your data syncs based on your business needs. Airbyte allows both manual and automatic scheduling for your data refreshes.
  5. Select the data to sync: Choose the specific Excel File objects you want to import data from towards Apache Iceberg. You can sync all data or select specific tables and fields.
  6. Select the sync mode for your streams: Choose between full refreshes or incremental syncs (with deduplication if you want), and this for all streams or at the stream level. Incremental is only available for streams that have a primary cursor.
  7. Test your connection: Click the 'Test Connection' button to make sure that your setup works. If the connection test is successful, save your configuration.
  8. Start the sync: If the test passes, click 'Set Up Connection'. Airbyte will start moving data from Excel File to Apache Iceberg according to your settings.

Remember, Airbyte keeps your data in sync at the frequency you determine, ensuring your Apache Iceberg data warehouse is always up-to-date with your Excel File data.

Use Cases to transfer your Excel File data to Apache Iceberg

Integrating data from Excel File to Apache Iceberg provides several benefits. Here are a few use cases:

  1. Advanced Analytics: Apache Iceberg’s powerful data processing capabilities enable you to perform complex queries and data analysis on your Excel File data, extracting insights that wouldn't be possible within Excel File alone.
  2. Data Consolidation: If you're using multiple other sources along with Excel File, syncing to Apache Iceberg allows you to centralize your data for a holistic view of your operations, and to set up a change data capture process so you never have any discrepancies in your data again.
  3. Historical Data Analysis: Excel File has limits on historical data. Syncing data to Apache Iceberg allows for long-term data retention and analysis of historical trends over time.
  4. Data Security and Compliance: Apache Iceberg provides robust data security features. Syncing Excel File data to Apache Iceberg ensures your data is secured and allows for advanced data governance and compliance management.
  5. Scalability: Apache Iceberg can handle large volumes of data without affecting performance, providing an ideal solution for growing businesses with expanding Excel File data.
  6. Data Science and Machine Learning: By having Excel File data in Apache Iceberg, you can apply machine learning models to your data for predictive analytics, customer segmentation, and more.
  7. Reporting and Visualization: While Excel File provides reporting tools, data visualization tools like Tableau, PowerBI, Looker (Google Data Studio) can connect to Apache Iceberg, providing more advanced business intelligence options. If you have a Excel File table that needs to be converted to a Apache Iceberg table, Airbyte can do that automatically.

Wrapping Up

To summarize, this tutorial has shown you how to:

  1. Configure a Excel File account as an Airbyte data source connector.
  2. Configure Apache Iceberg as a data destination connector.
  3. Create an Airbyte data pipeline that will automatically be moving data directly from Excel File to Apache Iceberg after you set a schedule

With Airbyte, creating data pipelines take minutes, and the data integration possibilities are endless. Airbyte supports the largest catalog of API tools, databases, and files, among other sources. Airbyte's connectors are open-source, so you can add any custom objects to the connector, or even build a new connector from scratch without any local dev environment or any data engineer within 10 minutes with the no-code connector builder.

We look forward to seeing you make use of it! We invite you to join the conversation on our community Slack Channel, or sign up for our newsletter. You should also check out other Airbyte tutorials, and Airbyte’s content hub!

What should you do next?

Hope you enjoyed the reading. Here are the 3 ways we can help you in your data journey:

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Take the first step towards extensible data movement infrastructure that will give a ton of time back to your data team. 
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Talk to a data infrastructure expert
Get a free consultation with an Airbyte expert to significantly improve your data movement infrastructure. 
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Subscribe to our monthly newsletter and get the community’s new enlightening content along with Airbyte’s progress in their mission to solve data integration once and for all.
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Tags

What should you do next?

Hope you enjoyed the reading. Here are the 3 ways we can help you in your data journey:

flag icon
Easily address your data movement needs with Airbyte Cloud
Take the first step towards extensible data movement infrastructure that will give a ton of time back to your data team. 
Get started with Airbyte for free
high five icon
Talk to a data infrastructure expert
Get a free consultation with an Airbyte expert to significantly improve your data movement infrastructure. 
Talk to sales
stars sparkling
Improve your data infrastructure knowledge
Subscribe to our monthly newsletter and get the community’s new enlightening content along with Airbyte’s progress in their mission to solve data integration once and for all.
Subscribe to newsletter

Tags

Frequently Asked Questions

What data can you extract from Excel File?

The Excel File provides access to a wide range of data types, including:  
• Workbook data: This includes information about the workbook itself, such as its name, author, and creation date.  
• Worksheet data: This includes data about individual worksheets within the workbook, such as their names, positions, and formatting.  
• Cell data: This includes information about individual cells within the worksheets, such as their values, formulas, and formatting.  
• Chart data: This includes data about any charts that are included in the workbook, such as their types, data sources, and formatting.  
• Pivot table data: This includes information about any pivot tables that are included in the workbook, such as their data sources, fields, and formatting.
• Macro data: This includes information about any macros that are included in the workbook, such as their names, code, and security settings.  

Overall, the Excel File's API provides developers with a comprehensive set of tools for accessing and manipulating data within Excel workbooks, making it a powerful tool for data analysis and management.

What data can you transfer to Apache Iceberg?

You can transfer a wide variety of data to Apache Iceberg. This usually includes structured, semi-structured, and unstructured data like transaction records, log files, JSON data, CSV files, and more, allowing robust, scalable data integration and analysis.

What are top ETL tools to transfer data from Excel File to Apache Iceberg?

The most prominent ETL tools to transfer data from Excel File to Apache Iceberg include:

  • Airbyte
  • Fivetran
  • Stitch
  • Matillion
  • Talend Data Integration

These tools help in extracting data from Excel File and various sources (APIs, databases, and more), transforming it efficiently, and loading it into Apache Iceberg and other databases, data warehouses and data lakes, enhancing data management capabilities.