Intro to Trino for the Trinewbie

Trino, formerly known as PrestoSQL, is a powerful SQL query engine designed to interact with a diverse array of data sources, allowing users to perform fast, ad-hoc queries across data lakes and warehouses without storing data itself. As an evolution from Presto, Trino provides a unified access point for querying multiple databases, utilizing a connector architecture that supports many existing databases and enables custom connectors for specialized use cases. Its architecture allows for intelligent query optimization by pushing down operations to the underlying databases, enhancing efficiency. Trino is accessible via various deployment methods, including Docker and Kubernetes, offering flexibility and scalability to accommodate growing data demands and complex workloads. The setup process, though straightforward for a proof of concept, involves configuring catalogs for each data source, allowing seamless SQL querying across disparate data systems. As organizations scale, Trino can be deployed using Kubernetes, supported by Helm charts, to manage the increased load and complex infrastructure needs, with ongoing community contributions enhancing its capabilities and connector ecosystem.