Data Engineering Associate with Databricks Practice Exam

What is the term for allowing updates and inserts in a single command in Databricks?

1. Upsert

2. Batch process

3. Quick insert

4. Bulk load

The correct answer is: Upsert

The term used to describe the capability of allowing both updates and inserts within a single command is "upsert." This functionality is particularly useful when working with data that may already exist in the target table. An upsert operation takes care of the logic that either updates existing records or inserts new records, based on whether a match is found in the existing data. This capability streamlines data management processes by reducing the number of operations needed to maintain data integrity and ensuring that data remains up-to-date with minimal overhead. Batch processing typically refers to executing a series of commands or tasks together without user interaction, focusing on processing large volumes of data efficiently. Quick insert and bulk load do not encompass the dual functionality of updating existing records while simultaneously inserting new ones. Therefore, "upsert" is the correct term that captures the essence of performing both operations in one command effectively.