Question 1

How do I add custom logic to a Dataflow template?

Accepted Answer

You can use User-Defined Functions (UDFs) written in JavaScript to transform or filter data. The README provides examples, such as adding fields or filtering records, for templates like GCS Text to BigQuery. However, UDFs are limited to JavaScript and may not support all custom needs.

Question 2

Dataflow Templates vs Apache NiFi: which is better for data integration?

Accepted Answer

Dataflow Templates are best for scalable, serverless data processing on Google Cloud with pre-built patterns, while Apache NiFi offers more graphical, on-premises flexibility for complex data flows. Choose Dataflow Templates if you're all-in on GCP and need managed scalability.

Question 3

How to handle errors in Dataflow template pipelines?

Accepted Answer

Error handling is template-dependent and relies on Dataflow service configurations. You can monitor via Cloud Logging and adjust job parameters like retries, but for advanced error recovery, you may need to customize the pipeline or use UDFs to filter problematic data.

Question 4

What are the costs of using Dataflow templates?

Accepted Answer

Costs are based on Dataflow usage, scaling with data volume and processing time. Templates abstract pipeline logic but don't optimize costs by default; you must tune parameters like machine type and worker count during deployment to control expenses.

Question 5

Can I use Dataflow templates with on-premises databases?

Accepted Answer

Yes, templates like JDBC to BigQuery can connect to on-premises databases if accessible via internet or Cloud VPN. However, network configuration and security setup are required, and performance may vary compared to cloud-native sources.

Question 6

How to monitor the performance of a Dataflow template job?

Accepted Answer

Use Google Cloud's monitoring tools like Cloud Monitoring and Dataflow job metrics. The README mentions the Dataflow Metrics Collector for exporting metrics to BigQuery or Cloud Storage, aiding in performance analysis and benchmarking.

Dataflow Templates

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