Transferring data… Everything you’ll ever need to know

Data transfer is a crucial aspect of data management that involves moving data from one place to another. The process can be complex due to various factors such as the type and structure of data, its location, and the need for real-time updates. To effectively transfer data, it's essential to define the data structure, determine the amount of data to be moved, and read the data before writing it into a new storage system. Data latency is a significant challenge in real-time data transfer, as more data comes in, the snapshot of the transferred data becomes outdated. To address this issue, an incremental copy process can be implemented by adding a cursor to filter out already copied over data and store a timestamp for reference during subsequent transfers. Change Data Capture (CDC) is another technique that helps maintain consistency between source and target databases by tracking changes made to the source database and applying them to the target in real-time. This process ensures that deleted records are also captured, providing an accurate snapshot of data at any given time. In conclusion, efficient data transfer requires careful planning, consideration of various factors such as data structure and consistency, and implementation of appropriate techniques like incremental copy and CDC.