Data Formats

Generates a record for every Avro record. Includes a precision and scale field attribute for each Decimal field.

The stage includes the Avro schema in an avroSchema record header attribute. You can use one of the following methods to specify the location of the Avro schema definition:

Message/Data Includes Schema - Use the schema in the file.
In Pipeline Configuration - Use the schema that you provide in the stage configuration properties.
Confluent Schema Registry - Retrieve the schema from Confluent Schema Registry. Confluent Schema Registry is a distributed storage layer for Avro schemas. You can configure the stage to look up the schema in Confluent Schema Registry by the schema ID or subject specified in the stage configuration.

Using a schema in the stage configuration or retrieving a schema from Confluent Schema Registry overrides any schema that might be included in the file and can improve performance.

The stage reads files compressed by Avro-supported compression codecs without requiring additional configuration. To enable the stage to read files compressed by other codecs, use the compression format property in the stage.

Generates a record for each delimited line.

The CSV parser that you choose determines the delimiter properties that you configure and how the stage handles parsing errors. You can specify if the data includes a header line and whether to use it. You can define the number of lines to skip before reading, the character set of the data, and the root field type to use for the generated record.

You can also configure the stage to replace a string constant with null values and to ignore control characters.

For more information about reading delimited data, see Reading Delimited Data.

Generates a record for every row in the file. Can process .xls or .xlsx files.

You can configure the origin to read from all sheets in a workbook or from particular sheets in a workbook. You can specify whether files include a header row and whether to ignore the header row. You can also configure the origin to skip cells that do not have a corresponding header value. A header row must be the first row of a file. Vertical header columns are not recognized.

The origin cannot process Excel files with large numbers of rows. You can save such files as CSV files in Excel, and then use the origin to process with the delimited data format.

Generates a record for each JSON object. You can process JSON files that include multiple JSON objects or a single JSON array.

When an object exceeds the maximum object length defined for the origin, the origin cannot continue processing data in the file. Records already processed from the file are passed to the pipeline. The behavior of the origin is then based on the error handling configured for the stage:

Discard - The origin continues processing with the next file, leaving the partially-processed file in the directory.
To Error - The origin continues processing with the next file. If a post-processing error directory is configured for the stage, the origin moves the partially-processed file to the error directory. Otherwise, it leaves the file in the directory.
Stop Pipeline - The origin stops the pipeline.

Generates a record for every log line.

When a line exceeds the user-defined maximum line length, the origin truncates longer lines.

You can include the processed log line as a field in the record. If the log line is truncated, and you request the log line in the record, the origin includes the truncated line.

You can define the log format or type to be read.

Generates a record for every protobuf message.

Protobuf messages must match the specified message type and be described in the descriptor file.

When the data for a record exceeds 1 MB, the origin cannot continue processing data in the file. The origin handles the file based on file error handling properties and continues reading the next file.

For information about generating the descriptor file, see Protobuf Data Format Prerequisites.

Generates a record for every record. Use to process records generated by a Data Collector pipeline using the SDC Record data format.

For error records, the origin provides the original record as read from the origin in the original pipeline, as well as error information that you can use to correct the record.

When processing error records, the origin expects the error file names and contents as generated by the original pipeline.

Generates a record for each line of text or for each section of text based on a custom delimiter.

When a line or section exceeds the maximum line length defined for the origin, the origin truncates it. The origin adds a boolean field named Truncated to indicate if the line was truncated.

For more information about processing text with a custom delimiter, see Text Data Format with Custom Delimiters.

Streams whole files from the origin system to the destination system. You can specify a transfer rate or use all available resources to perform the transfer.

The origin uses checksums to verify the integrity of data transmission.

The origin generates two fields: one for a file reference and one for file information. For more information, see Whole File Data Format.

Generates records based on a user-defined delimiter element. Use an XML element directly under the root element or define a simplified XPath expression. If you do not define a delimiter element, the origin treats the XML file as a single record.

Generated records include XML attributes and namespace declarations as fields in the record by default. You can configure the stage to include them in the record as field attributes.

You can include XPath information for each parsed XML element and XML attribute in field attributes. This also places each namespace in an xmlns record header attribute.

When a record exceeds the user-defined maximum record length, the origin cannot continue processing data in the file. Records already processed from the file are passed to the pipeline. The behavior of the origin is then based on the error handling configured for the stage:

Discard - The origin continues processing with the next file, leaving the partially-processed file in the directory.
To Error - The origin continues processing with the next file. If a post-processing error directory is configured for the stage, the origin moves the partially-processed file to the error directory. Otherwise, it leaves the file in the directory.
Stop Pipeline - The origin stops the pipeline.

Use the XML data format to process valid XML documents. For more information about XML processing, see Reading and Processing XML Data.

Tip: If you want to process invalid XML documents, you can try using the text data format with custom delimiters. For more information, see Processing XML Data with Custom Delimiters.