July 2025 Summaries

Beyond Analytics, a virtual DataOps conference presented by Astronomer, is set to take place on September 16, offering free registration for those interested in the evolving landscape of data engineering. Historically focused on moving and modeling data for internal analytics, the field has expanded to include mission-critical applications and customer-facing services, transforming data from a support role to a key revenue driver. This half-day event will feature industry leaders from companies like Ramp and Laurel, who will discuss the transition from "analytics as a service" to "data as a product," and how data infrastructure is now integral to AI-driven experiences and real-time recommendations. Attendees can also join a pre-event crash course led by Marc Lamberti on Apache Airflow 3, designed to prepare participants for its fundamentals certification exam. The conference aims to provide real-world examples and insights into the technologies and processes that are shaping the next era of data engineering.

Cosmos, an open-source standard developed by Astronomer for orchestrating dbt with Airflow, is advancing to enhance data pipeline efficiency, intelligence, and observability. With over 21 million monthly downloads, it facilitates the seamless integration of dbt transformations into Airflow pipelines, streamlining data transformation management within an open-source framework. The latest update, Cosmos 1.11 alpha, introduces support for dbt Fusion, a new dbt engine that offers fast parsing speeds, state-aware execution, and reduced warehouse costs. This update is designed to simplify the adoption of Airflow for orchestrating dbt Core projects, as noted by a user from System1. Cosmos now includes full support for Airflow 3, flexible execution modes, and expanded database support, all while maintaining platform independence. The tool is positioned as a future-proof solution with ongoing support for all dbt versions, including dbt Fusion. Users are encouraged to contribute feedback via GitHub, and comprehensive guidance is available for those looking to integrate dbt Fusion with Cosmos.