One big table and LLM Model: Future of data engineering (with Python Code)

Anuj Agarwal
4 min readApr 13, 2023

--

One big table is a concept in which data is stored in a single table rather than being partitioned across multiple tables. This approach can offer several advantages, including simpler data management, faster query performance, and easier scalability. However, it can also present challenges in terms of data modeling, indexing, and data consistency.

One of the ways in which one big table is disrupting ETL (extract, transform, load) and data engineering is by challenging the traditional approach to data warehousing. In a traditional data warehouse, data is extracted from various sources, transformed into a common format, and loaded into separate tables based on a predefined schema. This approach can be time-consuming and require significant resources to manage.

With one big table, the data is loaded into a single table without any transformation, and the schema is defined at query time. This approach can simplify the ETL process, reduce the time required for data integration, and enable more agile development. However, it also requires new tools and techniques for data modeling, indexing, and query optimization.

Another way in which one big table is disrupting ETL and data engineering is by changing the way data is stored and accessed. With a traditional data warehouse, data is often stored in a relational database or a similar structured data store. This approach can be inflexible and require complex joins to retrieve the desired information.

With one big table, data can be stored in a variety of formats, including key-value stores, document-oriented databases, and columnar databases. This approach can enable faster and more efficient queries, especially for large datasets. However, it also requires specialized skills and knowledge to work with these non-traditional data stores.

One Big Table + LLM model (Chatgpt) can assist in analyzing the data.

One big table with LLM (Log-Linear Model) can help businesses drive value from data by enabling faster and more efficient analysis of large datasets. LLM is a statistical model that can be used to analyze the relationships between different variables in a dataset, and identify patterns and trends.

By storing all data in a single table, businesses can reduce the time and effort required for data integration and management. This enables analysts to spend more time on data analysis, rather than data preparation, and allows them to explore multiple hypotheses and scenarios more quickly.

Furthermore, the LLM model can help businesses identify hidden patterns and relationships in their data, which may not be immediately apparent through traditional methods of data analysis. For example, LLM can identify non-linear relationships between variables, as well as interactions between multiple variables.

By leveraging the insights gained through LLM analysis, businesses can make more informed decisions, optimize their operations, and gain a competitive edge. For example, LLM can be used to optimize pricing strategies, identify new market opportunities, and improve customer segmentation.

In addition, the one big table with LLM model can help businesses overcome some of the challenges associated with traditional data warehousing and ETL processes. For example, businesses can reduce the time and resources required for data integration and management, and enable more agile development and analysis.

Overall, by leveraging the one big table with LLM model, businesses can drive value from data by enabling faster and more efficient analysis of large datasets, identifying hidden patterns and relationships, and making more informed decisions.

The process of converting an existing relational database into one big table for LLM model consumption can be summarized in the following steps:

  1. Identify the relevant data tables: Identify the tables in the existing relational database that contain the data you want to use for LLM analysis.
  2. Extract the data: Extract the data from the identified tables using SQL queries or ETL tools.
  3. Transform the data: Transform the extracted data into a flat format suitable for the one big table. This typically involves denormalizing the data by combining related tables and columns into a single table.
  4. Load the data: Load the transformed data into the one big table, which could be a key-value store, document-oriented database, or columnar database.
  5. Define the schema: Define the schema for the one big table based on the data types and structures of the transformed data.
  6. Index the data: Index the data in the one big table to enable fast querying and analysis.
  7. Perform LLM analysis: Use a tool or library that supports LLM analysis to analyze the data in the one big table and identify patterns and relationships.

Here’s a sample code snippet in Python that illustrates how to extract data from two related tables, transform it into a flat format, and load it into a MongoDB document-oriented database:

import pymongo
import mysql.connector

# Connect to MySQL database
mydb = mysql.connector.connect(
host="localhost",
user="yourusername",
password="yourpassword",
database="sakila"
)

# Connect to MongoDB database
client = pymongo.MongoClient("mongodb://localhost:27017/")
db = client["sakila"]

# Extract data from two related tables
mycursor = mydb.cursor()
mycursor.execute("SELECT f.title, c.name, r.rental_date, r.return_date FROM film f JOIN inventory i ON f.film_id = i.film_id JOIN rental r ON i.inventory_id = r.inventory_id JOIN customer c ON r.customer_id = c.customer_id")
data = mycursor.fetchall()

# Transform data into a flat format
documents = []
for row in data:
document = {
"title": row[0],
"name": row[1],
"rental_date": row[2],
"return_date": row[3]
}
documents.append(document)

# Load data into MongoDB
collection = db["rentals"]
collection.insert_many(documents)

# Define the schema and index the data
collection.create_index([("title", pymongo.ASCENDING)])
collection.create_index([("name", pymongo.ASCENDING)])

--

--

Anuj Agarwal
Anuj Agarwal

Written by Anuj Agarwal

Director - Technology at Natwest. Product Manager and Technologist who loves to solve problems with innovative technological solutions.

Responses (3)