ETL Testing: Architecture, Types and Best Practices

As promised, I am back with another blog on ETL testing.

In my previous blog, I talked about the basics of ETL testing, its working, and its benefits.

In today’s blog, I will talk about how to build ETL architecture, types of ETL testing, and its best practices.Without wasting time, let’s get started!  

How to Build ETL architecture?  

Establish an ETL architecture by following these steps -

• Identify your business needs
• Document data sources by determining the data your ETL architecture will support
• Identify your target destination to create an efficient architecture
• Conduct quality checks to determine the problems in your data sets
• Arrange regular maintenance and improvements  

Now that you are clear on how you can build an effective ETL architecture, let's look at the types of ETL testing.

Types of ETL Testing   

There are nine ETL tests that you can execute- 

 

Data Quality Testing   

• It runs syntax tests (invalid characters, case order, pattern) and reference tests (date, number, precision).  
• It ensures ETL application rejects, accepts default values, and reports invalid data.  

Production Validation 

• It validates data in the production system and compares it against source data.  
• It protects data against faulty logic and failed operational processes.  

Metadata Testing  

• It performs data type, index, length, and constraint checks of ETL application metadata.  

Data Transformation Testing  

• It runs SQL queries to verify that data is correctly transformed as per business rules.  

Source to target count Testing  

• It verifies the number of records loaded into the target database to match the expected record count.  

Performance Testing  

• It ensures that the data is loaded into the warehouse within the expected time period. 

Source to target data Testing  

• It verifies that the projected data is added to the target system without loss. 

Data Integration Testing  

• It confirms that data from all sources is loaded to the target warehouse and checks threshold values.  

Report Testing  

• It reviews data in the summary report. It verifies if the layout and functionality are as expected and makes calculations.  

ETL process might also involve user acceptance testing, GUI testing, and application migration tests. It ensures that ETL architecture functions well on other platforms too. 

Let us get to know the best practices for effective ETL testing.

 

With this I would like to conclude my blog. I hope now you will be able to create an effective ETL architecture. Ensure successful ETL testing by following best practices and automate the process of data migration.

 

Reach out to us at Nitor Infotech to learn about our quality engineering services.