Automated Table Maintenance for Apache Iceberg Tables

Automated table maintenance for Apache Iceberg tables is crucial in ensuring optimal performance and efficiency within cloud object storage systems, specifically when used with Trino. The process involves tasks such as optimizing to merge small files into larger ones, expiring outdated snapshots, and removing orphan files to prevent unnecessary data accumulation, which can lead to increased costs and decreased performance. The text outlines a manual approach to creating a maintenance routine using an Iceberg table to store parameters, a Python script to execute maintenance tasks, and a scheduling tool like Cronitor for automation. Additionally, it highlights an automated alternative provided by Starburst Galaxy, which simplifies the process by managing these tasks without requiring extensive engineering work. This automated solution offers a data warehouse-like experience on data lakes, optimizing data size, and improving performance through scheduled maintenance jobs.