Data lakes are a relatively new concept that has emerged due to the need to cope with the rapid growth of data volume. Traditional data storage methods such as data warehouses often fail to cope with the sheer volume, variety, and speed of modern data.

How does a data lake differ from a data warehouse
Despite the fact that lakes and data warehouses are used for data storage, they have fundamental differences from each other. A variety of data can be stored in the data lake, and in the storage mainly only structured data, which are intended for analytical purposes and the execution of complex queries and BI reports. Sometimes data architecture uses both approaches to combine the advantages of both solutions and achieve a more flexible and comprehensive data analysis.

The structure of the data lake

• Data Ingestion is the data entry point into the lake. It can process data from various sources and in various formats.
• Data storage is the place where data is stored. Huge amounts of structured and unstructured data can be stored here.
• Data processing. This component processes the data, converting it from a “raw” state into a more user-friendly form.
• Data management ensures data quality, security, and compliance with regulatory requirements.
• Data access allows users to access and use data.

Advantages of Data lakes
The data lake has become a popular approach for storing and processing data due to its advantages.

• Flexibility and scalability. It scales easily to store and process large amounts of data. You can add new data sources without changing the schema or preprocessing the data.
• A variety of data. Supports different types of data from different sources: structured, semi-structured and unstructured. At the same time, they do not need to be brought to a single format.
• Support for real-time analysis without the need for data preprocessing.
• A variety of analytical capabilities. Supports a variety of analytical scenarios: machine learning, AI, business analytics and big data analysis.
• The impossibility of data loss. The raw data is stored in the lake unchanged, so the information is not lost or distorted during the preprocessing process. This allows you to return to the original data and perform analysis using other methods or algorithms.
• Integration with cloud solutions. It can work with cloud services, as it makes it easier to download and store data in the cloud. This makes it easier to use cloud-based tools for data analysis and processing.

In general, the data lake is a flexible and powerful architecture that allows you to efficiently store and process diverse and voluminous data, supporting various analytical scenarios and providing the ability to analyze data in real time. However, it is worth remembering that the successful use of a data lake requires good data planning and management to avoid potential problems with data security and quality.

Problems related to the data lake
Despite their advantages, “data lakes” are not without problems. They require reliable data management in order not to turn into a “data swamp” filled with low-quality or irrelevant data. In addition, the implementation of a “data lake” requires significant technical knowledge and resources.