The Data Flowcast: Mastering Airflow for Data Engineering & AI

Astronomer
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The Data Flowcast: Mastering Airflow for Data Engineering & AI

Welcome to The Data Flowcast: Mastering Airflow for Data Engineering & AI — the podcast where we keep you up to date with insights and ideas propelling the Airflow community forward. Join us each week, as we explore the current state, future and potential of Airflow with leading thinkers in the community, and discover how best to leverage this workflow management system to meet the ever-evolving needs of data engineering and AI ecosystems. Podcast Webpage: https://www.astronomer.io/podcast/

  1. The Software Risk That Affects Everyone and How To Address It with Michael Winser and Jarek Potiuk

    6D AGO

    The Software Risk That Affects Everyone and How To Address It with Michael Winser and Jarek Potiuk

    The security of open-source software is a growing concern, especially as dependencies and regulations become more complex, making it essential to understand how to manage software supply chains effectively.  In this episode, we sit down with Michael Winser, Co-Founder at Alpha-Omega and Security Strategy Ambassador at Eclipse Foundation, and Jarek Potiuk, Member of the Security Committee at the Apache Software Foundation, to discuss the challenges of securing Airflow’s dependencies, the evolving landscape of open-source security and how contributors can help strengthen the ecosystem.   Key Takeaways: (02:43) Jarek quit his full-time engineer position and uses Airflow as a freelancer.  (04:32) Michael finds happiness in having meaningful work with open-source security. (07:01) Software supply chain security focuses on correctness, integrity and availability. (08:44) Airflow’s 790 dependencies present a unique security challenge. (09:43) Airflow’s security team has significantly improved its vulnerability response. (10:22) The transition to Airflow 3 emphasizes enterprise security readiness. (16:20) The ‘Three Fs’ approach: fix it, fork it, or forget it. (18:45) Dependency health is often more critical than fixing known vulnerabilities. (23:32) The ‘Three Fs’ in action.  (26:26) Open-source contributors play a key role in supply chain security. Resources Mentioned: Michael Winser - https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelw/ Jarek Potiuk - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jarekpotiuk/ Apache Airflow - https://airflow.apache.org/ Apache Software Foundation | LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-apache-software-foundation/ Apache Software Foundation | Website - https://www.apache.org/ Eclipse Foundation | LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/eclipse-foundation/ Eclipse Foundation | Website - https://www.eclipse.org/org/foundation/ OpenSSF Working Groups - https://openssf.org/community/openssf-working-groups/ Astronomer Roadshow: Exploring Apache Airflow 3 | London https://www.astronomer.io/events/roadshow/london/ Astronomer Roadshow: Exploring Apache Airflow 3 | New York https://www.astronomer.io/events/roadshow/new-york/ Astronomer Roadshow: Exploring Apache Airflow 3 | Sydney https://www.astronomer.io/events/roadshow/sydney/ Astronomer Roadshow: Exploring Apache Airflow 3 | San Francisco https://www.astronomer.io/events/roadshow/san-francisco/ Astronomer Roadshow: Exploring Apache Airflow 3 | Chicago https://www.astronomer.io/events/roadshow/chicago/ Thanks for listening to “The Data Flowcast: Mastering Airflow for Data Engineering & AI.” If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5-star review to help get the word out about the show. And be sure to subscribe so you never miss any of the insightful conversations. #AI #Automation #Airflow #MachineLearning

    28 min
  2. Building Scalable ML Infrastructure at Outerbounds with Savin Goyal

    MAR 13

    Building Scalable ML Infrastructure at Outerbounds with Savin Goyal

    Machine learning is changing fast, and companies need better tools to handle AI workloads. The right infrastructure helps data scientists focus on solving problems instead of managing complex systems. In this episode, we talk with Savin Goyal, Co-Founder and CTO at Outerbounds, about building ML infrastructure, how orchestration makes workflows easier and how Metaflow and Airflow work together to simplify data science.  Key Takeaways: (02:02) Savin spent years building AI and ML infrastructure, including at Netflix. (04:05) ML engineering was not a defined role a decade ago. (08:17) Modernizing AI and ML requires balancing new tools with existing strengths. (10:28) ML workloads can be long-running or require heavy computation. (15:29) Different teams at Netflix used multiple orchestration systems for specific needs. (20:10) Stable APIs prevent rework and keep projects moving. (21:07) Metaflow simplifies ML workflows by optimizing data and compute interactions. (25:53) Limited local computing power makes running ML workloads challenging. (27:43) Airflow UI monitors pipelines, while Metaflow UI gives ML insights. (33:13) The most successful data professionals focus on business impact, not just technology. Resources Mentioned: Savin Goyal - https://www.linkedin.com/in/savingoyal/ Outerbounds - https://www.linkedin.com/company/outerbounds/ Apache Airflow - https://airflow.apache.org/ Metaflow - https://metaflow.org/ Netflix’s Maestro Orchestration System - https://netflixtechblog.com/maestro-netflixs-workflow-orchestrator-ee13a06f9c78?gi=8e6a067a92e9#:~:text=Maestro%20is%20a%20fully%20managed,data%20between%20different%20storages%2C%20etc. TensorFlow - https://www.tensorflow.org/ PyTorch - https://pytorch.org/ Thanks for listening to “The Data Flowcast: Mastering Airflow for Data Engineering & AI.” If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5-star review to help get the word out about the show. And be sure to subscribe so you never miss any of the insightful conversations. #AI #Automation #Airflow #MachineLearning

    37 min

  3. MAR 6

    Customizing Airflow for Complex Data Environments at Stripe with Nick Bilozerov and Sharadh Krishnamurthy

    Keeping data pipelines reliable at scale requires more than just the right tools — it demands constant innovation. In this episode, Nick Bilozerov, Senior Data Engineer at Stripe, and Sharadh Krishnamurthy, Engineering Manager at Stripe, discuss how Stripe customizes Airflow for its needs, the evolution of its data orchestration framework and the transition to Airflow 2. They also share insights on scaling data workflows while maintaining performance, reliability and developer experience.  Key Takeaways:  (02:04) Stripe’s mission is to grow the GDP of the internet by supporting businesses with payments and data. (05:08) 80% of Stripe engineers use data orchestration, making scalability critical. (06:06) Airflow powers business reports, regulatory needs and ML workflows. (08:02) Custom task frameworks improve dependencies and validation. (08:50) "User scope mode" enables local testing without production impact. (10:39) Migrating to Airflow 2 improves isolation, safety and scalability. (16:40) Monolithic DAGs caused database issues, prompting a service-based shift. (19:24) Frequent Airflow upgrades ensure stability and access to new features. (21:38) DAG versioning and backfill improvements enhance developer experience. (23:38) Greater UI customization would offer more flexibility. Resources Mentioned: Nick Bilozerov - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-bilozerov/ Sharadh Krishnamurthy - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharadhk/ Apache Airflow - https://airflow.apache.org/ Stripe | LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/stripe/ Stripe | Website - https://stripe.com/ Thanks for listening to “The Data Flowcast: Mastering Airflow for Data Engineering & AI.” If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5-star review to help get the word out about the show. And be sure to subscribe so you never miss any of the insightful conversations. #AI #Automation #Airflow #MachineLearning

    28 min
  4. Harnessing Airflow for Data-Driven Policy Research at CSET with Jennifer Melot

    FEB 27

    Harnessing Airflow for Data-Driven Policy Research at CSET with Jennifer Melot

    Turning complex datasets into meaningful analysis requires robust data infrastructure and seamless orchestration. In this episode, we’re joined by Jennifer Melot, Technical Lead at the Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET) at Georgetown University, to explore how Airflow powers data-driven insights in technology policy research. Jennifer shares how her team automates workflows to support analysts in navigating complex datasets.  Key Takeaways:  (02:04) CSET provides data-driven analysis to inform government decision-makers. (03:54) ETL pipelines merge multiple data sources for more comprehensive insights. (04:20) Airflow is central to automating and streamlining large-scale data ingestion. (05:11) Larger-scale databases create challenges that require scalable solutions. (07:20) Dynamic DAG generation simplifies Airflow adoption for non-engineers. (12:13) DAG Factory and dynamic task mapping can improve workflow efficiency. (15:46) Tracking data lineage helps teams understand dependencies across DAGs. (16:14) New Airflow features enhance visibility and debugging for complex pipelines. Resources Mentioned: Jennifer Melot - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-melot-aa710144/ Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET) - https://www.linkedin.com/company/georgetown-cset/ Apache Airflow - https://airflow.apache.org/ Zenodo - https://zenodo.org/ OpenLineage - https://openlineage.io/ Cloud Dataplex - https://cloud.google.com/dataplex Thanks for listening to “The Data Flowcast: Mastering Airflow for Data Engineering & AI.” If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5-star review to help get the word out about the show. And be sure to subscribe so you never miss any of the insightful conversations. #AI #Automation #Airflow #MachineLearning

    18 min
  5. Leveraging Airflow To Build Scalable and Reliable Data Platforms at 99acres.com with Samyak Jain

    FEB 20

    Leveraging Airflow To Build Scalable and Reliable Data Platforms at 99acres.com with Samyak Jain

    Data orchestration is evolving rapidly, with dynamic workflows becoming the cornerstone of modern data engineering. In this episode, we are joined by Samyak Jain, Senior Software Engineer - Big Data at 99acres.com. Samyak shares insights from his journey with Apache Airflow, exploring how his team built a self-service platform that enables non-technical teams to launch data pipelines and marketing campaigns seamlessly. Key Takeaways: (02:02) Starting a career in data engineering by troubleshooting Airflow pipelines. (04:27) Building self-service portals with Airflow as the backend engine. (05:34) Utilizing API endpoints to trigger dynamic DAGs with parameterized templates. (09:31) Managing a dynamic environment with over 1,400 active DAGs. (11:14) Implementing fault tolerance by segmenting data workflows into distinct layers. (14:15) Tracking and optimizing query costs in AWS Athena to save $7K monthly. (16:22) Automating cost monitoring with real-time alerts for high-cost queries. (17:15) Streamlining Airflow metadata cleanup to prevent performance bottlenecks. (21:30) Efficiently handling one-time and recurring marketing campaigns using Airflow. (24:18) Advocating for Airflow features that improve resource management and ownership tracking. Resources Mentioned: Samyak Jain - https://www.linkedin.com/in/samyak-jain-ab5830169/ 99acres.com - https://www.linkedin.com/company/99acres/ Apache Airflow - https://airflow.apache.org/ AWS Athena - https://aws.amazon.com/athena/ Kafka - https://kafka.apache.org/ Thanks for listening to “The Data Flowcast: Mastering Airflow for Data Engineering & AI.” If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5-star review to help get the word out about the show. And be sure to subscribe so you never miss any of the insightful conversations. #AI #Automation #Airflow #MachineLearning

    25 min
  6. Hybrid Testing Solutions for Autonomous Driving at Bosch with Jens Scheffler and Christian Schilling

    FEB 13

    Hybrid Testing Solutions for Autonomous Driving at Bosch with Jens Scheffler and Christian Schilling

    Testing autonomous vehicles demands precision, scalability and powerful orchestration tools — enter Apache Airflow, a key component of Bosch’s cutting-edge testing framework. In this episode, we sit down with Jens Scheffler, Test Execution Cluster Technical Architect, and Christian Schilling, Product Owner Open Loop Testing Automated Driving, both at Bosch, to explore how Bosch harnesses Airflow to streamline complex testing scenarios. They share insights on scaling workflows, integrating hybrid infrastructures and ensuring vehicle safety through rigorous automated testing. Key Takeaways: (01:35) Airflow orchestrates millions of test hours for autonomous systems. (03:15) Jens scales distributed systems with Kubernetes for job orchestration. (06:02) Airflow runs hundreds of tests simultaneously. (06:44) Virtual testing reduces costs and on-road trials. (12:19) Unified APIs and GUIs streamline operations. (15:05) Self-service setups empower Bosch teams. (18:00) Physical hardware integration ensures real-world timing. (20:30) Dynamic task mapping scales workflows efficiently. (25:22) Open-source contributions improve stability. (31:06) Edge and Celery executors power Bosch's hybrid scheduling. Resources Mentioned: Jens Scheffler - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jens-scheffler/ Christian Schilling - https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-schilling-a5078831a/ Bosch - https://www.linkedin.com/company/bosch/ Apache Airflow - https://airflow.apache.org/ Kubernetes - https://kubernetes.io GitHub - https://github.com Edge Executor - https://airflow.apache.org/docs/apache-airflow/stable/core-concepts/executor/index.html Thanks for listening to “The Data Flowcast: Mastering Airflow for Data Engineering & AI.” If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5-star review to help get the word out about the show. And be sure to subscribe so you never miss any of the insightful conversations. #AI #Automation #Airflow #MachineLearning

    34 min
  7. Overcoming Airflow Scaling Challenges at Monzo Bank with Jonathan Rainer

    FEB 7

    Overcoming Airflow Scaling Challenges at Monzo Bank with Jonathan Rainer

    Scaling a data orchestration platform to manage thousands of tasks daily demands innovative solutions and strategic problem-solving. In this episode, we explore the complexities of scaling Airflow and the challenges of orchestrating thousands of tasks in dynamic data environments. Jonathan Rainer, Former Platform Engineer at Monzo Bank, joins us to share his journey optimizing data pipelines, overcoming UI limitations and ensuring DAG consistency in high-stakes scenarios.  Key Takeaways: (03:11) Using Airflow to schedule computation in BigQuery. (07:02) How DAGs with 8,000+ tasks were managed nightly. (08:18) Ensuring accuracy in regulatory reporting for banking. (11:35) Handling task inconsistency and DAG failures with automation. (16:09) Building a service to resolve DAG consistency issues in Airflow. (25:05) Challenges with scaling the Airflow UI for thousands of tasks. (27:03) The role of upstream and downstream task management in Airflow. (37:33) The importance of operational metrics for monitoring Airflow health. (39:19) Balancing new tools with root cause analysis to address scaling issues. (41:35) Why scaling solutions require both technical and leadership buy-in Resources Mentioned: Jonathan Rainer - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-rainer/ Monzo Bank - https://www.linkedin.com/company/monzo-bank/ Apache Airflow - https://airflow.apache.org/ BigQuery - https://airflow.apache.org/docs/apache-airflow-providers-google/stable/operators/cloud/bigquery.html Kubernetes - https://kubernetes.io/ Thanks for listening to “The Data Flowcast: Mastering Airflow for Data Engineering & AI.” If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5-star review to help get the word out about the show. And be sure to subscribe so you never miss any of the insightful conversations. #AI #Automation #Airflow #MachineLearning

    44 min
  8. Orchestrating Analytics and AI Workflows at Telia with Arjun Anandkumar

    JAN 30

    Orchestrating Analytics and AI Workflows at Telia with Arjun Anandkumar

    The future of data engineering lies in seamless orchestration and automation. In this episode, Arjun Anandkumar, Data Engineer at Telia, shares how his team uses Airflow to drive analytics and AI workflows. He highlights the challenges of scaling data platforms and how adopting best practices can simplify complex processes for teams across the organization. Arjun also discusses the transformative role of tools like Cosmos and Terraform in enhancing efficiency and collaboration.  Key Takeaways: (02:16) Telia operates across the Nordics and Baltics, focusing on telecom and energy services. (03:45) Airflow runs dbt models seamlessly with Cosmos on AWS MWAA. (05:47) Cosmos improves visibility and orchestration in Airflow. (07:00) Medallion Architecture organizes data into bronze, silver and gold layers. (08:34) Task group challenges highlight the need for adaptable workflows. (15:04) Scaling managed services requires trial, error and tailored tweaks. (19:46) Terraform scales infrastructure, while YAML templates manage DAGs efficiently. (20:00) Templated DAGs and robust testing enhance platform management. (24:15) Open-source resources drive innovation in Airflow practices. Resources Mentioned: Arjun Anandkumar - https://www.linkedin.com/in/arjunanand1/?originalSubdomain=dk Telia - https://www.linkedin.com/company/teliacompany/ Apache Airflow - https://airflow.apache.org/ Cosmos by Astronomer - https://www.astronomer.io/cosmos/ Terraform - https://www.terraform.io/ Medallion Architecture by Databricks - https://www.databricks.com/glossary/medallion-architecture Thanks for listening to “The Data Flowcast: Mastering Airflow for Data Engineering & AI.” If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5-star review to help get the word out about the show. And be sure to subscribe so you never miss any of the insightful conversations. #AI #Automation #Airflow #MachineLearning

    26 min
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    About

    Welcome to The Data Flowcast: Mastering Airflow for Data Engineering & AI — the podcast where we keep you up to date with insights and ideas propelling the Airflow community forward. Join us each week, as we explore the current state, future and potential of Airflow with leading thinkers in the community, and discover how best to leverage this workflow management system to meet the ever-evolving needs of data engineering and AI ecosystems. Podcast Webpage: https://www.astronomer.io/podcast/

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