A Survey of Extract–Transform–Load Technology

Abstract

The software processes that facilitate the original loading and the periodic refreshment of the data warehouse contents are commonly known as Extraction-Transformation-Loading (ETL) processes. The intention of this survey is to present the research work in the field of ETL technology in a structured way. To this end, we organize the coverage of the field as follows: (a) first, we cover the conceptual and logical modeling of ETL processes, along with some design methods, (b) we visit each stage of the E-T-L triplet, and examine problems that fall within each of these stages, (c) we discuss problems that pertain to the entirety of an ETL process, and, (d) we review some research prototypes of academic origin.