ETL – Extract, Transform, and Load
Central to all areas in Data Integration and Interoperability is the basic process of Extract, Transform, and Load (ETL). Whether executed physically or virtually, in batch or real-time, these are the essential steps in moving data around and between applications and organizations.
ELT – Extract, Load and Transform
If the target system has more transformation capability than either the source or an intermediary application system, the order of processes may be switched to ELT – Extract, Load, and Transform. ELT allows transformations to occur after the load to the target system, often as part of the process. ELT allows source data to be instantiated on the target system as raw data, which can be useful for other processes. This is common in Big Data environments where ELT loads the data lake.
