September 16, 2024

What are dbt Core Environments?

Manage dbt Core & Cloud environments for development & deployment. Build & test dbt projects in code editors & the command line.
Dexter Chu
Head of Marketing

What are dbt Core Environments?

dbt Core environments are essential tools used to segregate production and development environments. They are primarily used to ensure that the environment end users interact with is separate from the one engineers work in. This separation is crucial for maintaining the integrity of the production environment while allowing for development and testing in a separate space.

// Example of a dbt Core environment setup
profiles.yml:
default: dev
dev:
outputs:
dev:
type: bigquery
method: service-account
project: my-project
dataset: my-dataset
threads: 1
timeout_seconds: 300
location: EU
priority: interactive
retries: 1

This code snippet is an example of how a dbt Core environment can be set up. It shows a typical profile with a target named 'dev' set as the default. The 'dev' target is configured with connection details and credentials for a BigQuery database. This setup allows dbt to connect to the specified data source.

  • dbt Core: A tool that provides a framework for transforming data in-database, enabling you to build modular, high-quality data pipelines.
  • profiles.yml: A configuration file where you define connection details and credentials for your database. It is located by default in the .dbt folder of your home directory.
  • BigQuery: A web service from Google that is used for handling and analyzing big data.

How to set up a local dbt Core environment?

Setting up a local dbt Core environment involves creating a data source that dbt can use, downloading and running the installer for your data source, creating a server locally on your machine, and telling dbt how to connect to your data. These steps ensure that dbt can access and interact with your data source as needed.

// Example of setting up a local dbt Core environment
// Step 1: Create a data source
CREATE DATABASE my_database;

// Step 2: Download and run the installer for your data source
// This step is dependent on your specific data source and operating system

// Step 3: Create a server locally on your machine
// This step is dependent on your specific data source and operating system

// Step 4: Tell dbt how to connect to your data
profiles.yml:
default: dev
dev:
outputs:
dev:
type: bigquery
method: service-account
project: my-project
dataset: my-dataset
threads: 1
timeout_seconds: 300
location: EU
priority: interactive
retries: 1

This code snippet provides a general overview of the steps involved in setting up a local dbt Core environment. It includes creating a database, which serves as the data source, and configuring the profiles.yml file with the connection details and credentials for the database. The specific steps for downloading and running the installer for your data source and creating a server locally on your machine will depend on your specific data source and operating system.

  • Data source: The database or file that dbt will connect to and transform data in.
  • Installer: A software component that installs the necessary files and configurations for a specific data source.
  • Server: A computer or system that manages access to a centralized resource or service in a network.

What are the types of environments in dbt Cloud?

In dbt Cloud, there are two types of environments: Deployment and Development. The Deployment environment determines the settings used when jobs are executed within that environment. On the other hand, the Development environment determines the settings used in the dbt Cloud IDE or dbt Cloud CLI for that particular project. These environments allow for separate settings and configurations for deployment and development tasks.

// Example of a dbt Cloud environment setup
// Deployment environment
profiles.yml:
default: prod
prod:
outputs:
prod:
type: bigquery
method: service-account
project: my-project
dataset: my-dataset
threads: 1
timeout_seconds: 300
location: EU
priority: interactive
retries: 1

// Development environment
profiles.yml:
default: dev
dev:
outputs:
dev:
type: bigquery
method: service-account
project: my-project
dataset: my-dataset
threads: 1
timeout_seconds: 300
location: EU
priority: interactive
retries: 1

This code snippet shows how a dbt Cloud environment can be set up. It includes separate configurations for the Deployment and Development environments. Each environment has its own profiles.yml file with connection details and credentials for a BigQuery database.

  • Deployment environment: The environment that end users interact with. It determines the settings used when jobs are executed within that environment.
  • Development environment: The environment that engineers work in. It determines the settings used in the dbt Cloud IDE or dbt Cloud CLI for that particular project.
  • dbt Cloud IDE: An integrated development environment provided by dbt Cloud that allows users to write, test, and deploy dbt code.

How to build a dbt project in a code editor?

You can build your dbt project in a code editor, such as VSCode or Atom. This involves writing dbt code, testing it, and deploying it. You can also run your project from the command line, such as macOS's Terminal program, iTerm, or the command line prompt within a code editor. This allows for more flexibility and control over the execution of your dbt project.

// Example of building a dbt project in a code editor
// Step 1: Write dbt code
// This step is dependent on your specific project requirements

// Step 2: Test dbt code
dbt test

// Step 3: Deploy dbt code
dbt run

This code snippet provides a general overview of the steps involved in building a dbt project in a code editor. It includes writing dbt code, which will depend on your specific project requirements, testing the code using the 'dbt test' command, and deploying the code using the 'dbt run' command.

  • VSCode: A free source-code editor made by Microsoft for Windows, Linux and macOS. It includes support for debugging, embedded Git control, syntax highlighting, intelligent code completion, snippets, and code refactoring.
  • Atom: A free and open-source text and source code editor for macOS, Linux, and Microsoft Windows with support for plug-ins written in Node.js, and embedded Git Control, developed by GitHub.
  • dbt test: A command in dbt that runs tests on your data models to ensure they meet specified criteria.

What is the role of the command line in dbt?

The command line plays a crucial role in dbt as it allows for the execution of dbt commands. These commands can be used to run your dbt project, test your data models, and deploy your dbt code. The command line can be accessed through various programs, such as macOS's Terminal program, iTerm, or the command line prompt within a code editor.

// Example of using the command line in dbt
// Step 1: Navigate to your dbt project directory
cd /path/to/your/dbt/project

// Step 2: Run your dbt project
dbt run

// Step 3: Test your data models
dbt test

This code snippet provides a general overview of how the command line can be used in dbt. It includes navigating to your dbt project directory, running your dbt project using the 'dbt run' command, and testing your data models using the 'dbt test' command.

  • Command line: A text-based interface which can be used to input commands directly to a computer system.
  • Terminal: A terminal emulator for macOS that provides text-based access to the operating system, in contrast to the mostly graphical nature of the user experience of macOS.
  • iTerm: A full featured terminal emulation program for Mac OS X written in Objective-C. It supports a variety of different terminal emulation modes, including VT100, VT102, VT220, ANSI, xterm, and more.

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