Apache Airflow

Apache Airflow is a tool that helps you create and manage automated workflows for processing data. Think of it as a smart coordinator that runs your tasks in the right order, at the right time, and handles problems when they occur.

You define your workflows using Python code, which means you can use all the tools you already know. Each workflow is called a DAG, which shows how your tasks connect and depend on each other. Airflow comes with a visual web dashboard where you can see your workflows running, check logs, and restart failed tasks.

The platform works with cloud services like AWS, Google Cloud, and Azure, plus hundreds of other tools through ready-made connections. You can run it on your own servers or use managed services like Astronomer.

Getting started with Apache Airflow follows these steps:

• Install Airflow on your computer or server using pip. You can also use Docker for a quick setup with all components ready to go.

• Write your first workflow as a Python file. Define tasks using operators like PythonOperator for running Python functions or BashOperator for shell commands.

• Place your workflow file in the DAGs folder. Airflow automatically finds and loads new workflows every few minutes.

• Open the web interface at localhost:8080 to see your workflow. You can turn it on, trigger it manually, or let it run on schedule.

• Monitor task execution through the dashboard. Check logs if something fails, and use the retry button to run failed tasks again.

• Connect external services by setting up connections in the admin panel. This lets your workflows interact with databases, cloud storage, and other tools.

• Python-based workflow creation

• Visual web dashboard with monitoring

• Automatic task scheduling and retries

• Smart dependency management

• Scalable from laptop to cloud

• 1,500+ ready-made integrations

• Works with AWS, Google Cloud, Azure

• Command-line tools for automation

• Built-in logging and alerting

• Open source and self-hosted

• Active community support

• Enterprise-grade features available