Change Data Capture (CDC)
Streaming inserts, updates, and deletes from a database so downstream systems stay in sync in near real time.
Change Data Capture (CDC) streams database changes—insert, update, delete events—to subscribers so systems stay synchronized. It listens to logs or triggers instead of running heavy polling queries.
Operations teams use CDC to keep data warehouses, search indices, caches, and microservices up to date. It reduces lag between systems without overloading the primary database.
CDC fits into data pipelines as a near-real-time feed that powers analytics, personalization, and automation triggers. It improves freshness and reduces manual exports, but requires careful handling of ordering and retries.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is CDC implemented?
Common methods: database write-ahead logs (e.g., binlog), triggers, or timestamp-based queries. Log-based CDC is most scalable and least invasive.
What are the main benefits?
Fresh data across systems, fewer heavy reads on the primary DB, and event streams that can trigger automations or analytics in near real time.
What are common CDC challenges?
Handling schema changes, out-of-order events, duplicates, and backpressure. You need idempotent consumers and replay capability.
How do I ensure ordering?
Partition by key and process in order per key. Use offsets and checkpoints; avoid shuffling streams without keys.
How do schema changes affect CDC?
Additive changes are easiest. Dropped/renamed columns require coordinated updates to consumers. Version schemas and validate events.
Can CDC replace batch ETL?
It complements it. Use CDC for freshness and triggers, and periodic batch jobs for reconciliation and heavy transforms.
How do I handle errors in consumers?
Make processing idempotent, park poison messages, and support replay from checkpoints. Alert on elevated failure rates.
Is CDC safe for the primary database?
Log-based CDC is low impact. Avoid heavy polling. Monitor replication lag and resource usage to keep production stable.
What tools help with CDC?
Platforms like Debezium, Kafka Connect, or cloud-native CDC services. Pair with a message bus for buffering and fan-out.
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