Converting Parquet data to JSON format is common in data engineering pipelines. This article demonstrates how to efficiently perform this conversion using Airbyte, an open-source data integration platform. We'll explore the step-by-step process, highlighting Airbyte's capabilities in simplifying data transformations and enabling seamless integration between different data formats.

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 Parquet File?

Parquet File is a columnar storage file format that is designed to store and process large amounts of data efficiently. It is an open-source project that was developed by Cloudera and Twitter. Parquet File is optimized for use with Hadoop and other big data processing frameworks, and it is designed to work well with both structured and unstructured data. The format is highly compressed, which makes it ideal for storing and processing large datasets. Parquet File is also designed to be highly scalable, which means that it can be used to store and process data across multiple nodes in a distributed computing environment.

What is JSON?

JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) is a lightweight, text-based data interchange format. It uses a simple structure of key-value pairs and arrays, making it easy for humans to read and write, and for machines to parse and generate. JSON is widely used for transferring data between a server and web application, as well as for configuration files and data storage. Its versatility and compatibility with various programming languages have made it a popular choice for APIs, web services, and data exchange in modern software development.

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Prerequisites

1. A Parquet File account to transfer your customer data automatically from.
2. A JSON File Destination 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 Parquet File and JSON File Destination, for seamless data migration.

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

Step 1: Set up Parquet File as a source connector

1. Open the Airbyte dashboard and click on "Sources" on the left-hand side of the screen.
2. Click on the "Create Connection" button and select "Parquet File" from the list of available connectors.
3. Enter a name for your connection and click on "Next".
4. In the "Configuration" tab, enter the path to your Parquet file in the "File Path" field.
5. If your Parquet file is password-protected, enter the password in the "Password" field.
6. If your Parquet file is encrypted, select the appropriate encryption type from the "Encryption Type" dropdown menu and enter the encryption key in the "Encryption Key" field.
7. Click on "Test Connection" to ensure that your credentials are correct and that Airbyte can connect to your Parquet file.
8. If the test is successful, click on "Create" to save your connection.
9. You can now use this connection to create a new Airbyte pipeline and start syncing data from your Parquet file to your destination.

Step 2: Set up JSON File Destination as a destination connector

1. Open the Airbyte platform and navigate to the "Destinations" tab on the left-hand side of the screen.
2. Scroll down until you find the "JSON File" destination connector and click on it.
3. Click on the "Create new connection" button.
4. Enter a name for your connection and click on the "Next" button.
5. Fill in the required fields for your JSON File destination, such as the file path and format.
6. Test the connection by clicking on the "Test" button.
7. If the test is successful, click on the "Save & Sync" button to save your connection and start syncing data to your JSON File destination.
8. You can also schedule your syncs by clicking on the "Schedule" button and selecting the frequency and time for your syncs.
9. To view your synced data, navigate to the file path you specified in your JSON File destination and open the file in a text editor or JSON viewer.

Step 3: Set up a connection to sync your Parquet File data to JSON File Destination

Once you've successfully connected Parquet File as a data source and JSON File Destination 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 Parquet File from the dropdown list of your configured sources.
3. Select your destination: Choose JSON File Destination 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 Parquet File objects you want to import data from towards JSON File Destination. 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 Parquet File to JSON File Destination according to your settings.

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

Use cases for converting Parquet data to JSON

1. Data Integration

JSON is widely supported across various systems and applications, making it easier to integrate Parquet data with different platforms that may not natively support Parquet.

2. API Compatibility

Many APIs expect data in JSON format. Converting Parquet to JSON allows you to use Parquet-stored data in API requests or responses.

3. Web Applications

JSON is the de facto standard for data exchange in web applications. Converting Parquet to JSON enables easier data consumption in web-based applications.

4. Data Analysis

While Parquet is excellent for storage and processing, JSON is more human-readable. Converting to JSON can facilitate easier data exploration and analysis, especially for non-technical stakeholders.

Challenges in converting Parquet data to JSON

1. Performance

Parquet is highly compressed and optimized for columnar storage, while JSON is less efficient. Converting large Parquet files to JSON can be time-consuming and resource-intensive.

2. Data type compatibility

Parquet supports complex nested structures and data types that may not have direct equivalents in JSON, requiring careful mapping and potential loss of precision.

3. File size increase

JSON files are typically much larger than their Parquet counterparts, which can impact storage and transfer times.

4. Schema evolution

Parquet files can contain schema metadata, which may be lost or require special handling when converting to JSON.

These challenges often need careful planning and potentially custom solutions when converting between these formats. Airbyte can help address these challenges by providing automated, scalable conversion processes with built-in data type handling, efficient resource management, and customizable transformation options, streamlining the Parquet to JSON conversion workflow.

Wrapping Up

To summarize, this tutorial has shown you how to:

1. Configure a Parquet File account as an Airbyte data source connector.
2. Configure JSON File Destination as a data destination connector.
3. Create an Airbyte data pipeline that will automatically be moving data directly from Parquet File to JSON File Destination 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!