What is meant by a data pipeline?
A data pipeline is a series of processes that moves telemetry data from a source to a destination while transforming, enriching, or organizing it along the way. It ensures seamless data flow for analysis, visualization, or storage.
What is an example of a data pipeline?
An example is a telemetry pipeline that collects user activity logs from a website, processes them in real time to generate metrics, and sends the insights to a dashboard for monitoring for user experience.
Is a data pipeline an ETL?
Not necessarily. ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) is a type of data pipeline focused on structured data workflows. Data pipelines encompass broader use cases, including real-time processing, data routing, and telemetry management. Learn more about the differences between both and which is best for your data strategy here.
What are the main 3 stages in a data pipeline?
Ingestion: Collecting raw data from sources.
Processing: Transforming, enriching, or organizing data.
Delivery: Sending processed telemetry data to its final destination, such as storage or visualization platforms.
Meet the Experts
Merrick Besselman is a cybersecurity engineer at Johnson Controls, where she specializes in security automation and data-driven defense strategies. With a talent for transforming complex security challenges into scalable, automated solutions, Merrick plays a key role in keeping JCI ahead of both auditors and adversaries. Outside of work, she’s passionate about mentoring the next generation of security professionals and exploring open source intelligence.
Brian is an observability ninja who has over 15 years as both a customer and consultant. At Optiv, he is responsible for architecting the data pipeline used in Optiv's MDR offering. Prior to Optiv, Brian worked as a professional services consultant for both Cribl and Splunk, where he gained experience across multiple verticals and clients of all sizes.
Aaron Staley is the Executive Director of the National Defense Cyber Alliance (NDCA), where he leads efforts to enhance public-private collaboration in defense of the nation’s cyber infrastructure. He also serves as Senior Vice President at Disruptive Solutions, a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) specializing in mission-focused cybersecurity, data, and intelligence services.
