Databricks Certified Data Analyst Associate Cert Prep

Course details

Embark on a comprehensive learning journey designed to prepare you for the Databricks Certified Data Analyst Associate exam. This course introduces you to the fundamentals of the Databricks platform, including its vibrant ecosystem of cloud service providers, Unity Catalog, and workspace UI. Discover how to import data, write and optimize SQL queries, and utilize advanced features like Delta Lake for managing and securing data. Explore essential SQL concepts supplemented with AI-driven development for workflow enhancement. Gain expertise in data modeling techniques such as Star, Snowflake, and Medallion architectures to build scalable and robust data systems within Databricks. The course offers practical insights into building dashboards and visualizations while maintaining a strong focus on data security. Whether you're a data analyst, a business intelligence professional, or a tech enthusiast preparing for certification, this course provides a hands-on approach to real-world data analysis challenges. Benefit from pursuing these learning objectives by becoming exam ready and extending your analytical prowess into professional contexts.

Concepts

Introduction

Course introduction
Data story (data warehouse, data lake, data lakehouse)
What is Delta Lake
Databricks - A high-level overview

Getting Started with Databricks

Cloud service provider
Databricks account and workspaces
Unity Catalog
Sign up on Databricks platform
Understand Databricks account console
Workspace UI walkthrough

Importing Data

Upload a local file as a table using the UI
Writing basic queries in Databricks
Upload a local CSV file to a volume using the UI
Creating a Delta table from a CSV file using read files()
Moving Delta table to another schema
Loading data into a Delta table using COPY INTO
Using INSERT INTO to add data to a Delta table
Exploring Delta table features in practice
Managed vs. external tables
Delta Sharing
Databricks Marketplace
Ingesting data from Amazon S3 into Databricks

Master SQL in Databricks

Sorting query results using ORDER BY
Working with aggregate functions - Update to add STDEV
Grouping and filtering data using GROUP BY and HAVING
Working with string, date, and data conversion functions
Combining tables using joins in Databricks SQL
Combining result sets using set operators in Databricks SQL
Handling NULL values using IS NULL, COALESCE, and IFNULL
Using CASE expression for conditional logic
Using subqueries in Databricks SQL
Common table expressions (CTE) in Databricks SQL
Window functions in Databricks SQL

Views in Databricks

Standard views
Temporary views
Materialized views
Dynamic views

Modern SQL Development with AI in Databricks

AI for writing and explaining SQL
Debugging and optimization with AI
Best practices - AI + analyst workflow
Bonus - Using AI to convert SQL to PySpark

Managing & Securing Data (Unity Catalog)

Unity Catalog fundamentals - Explained simply
Unity Catalog in practice - Workspace binding and permissions
Applying tags in Unity Catalog using the UI
Applying and discovering tags in Unity Catalog using SQL
Understanding and viewing data lineage in Unity Catalog
Unity Catalog security - Roles, permissions, sharing, and best practices

Working with Dashboards and Visualizations in Databricks

What is an AI BI dashboard
Designing datasets for dashboards
Working with visualization types in Databricks SQL dashboards, part 1
Working with visualization types in Databricks SQL dashboards, part 2
Enhancing Databricks dashboards with counters, text widget, and image
AI enhanced features
Dashboard filtering - Local, global, and cross-filtering
Working with parameters in SQL queries and dashboards
Sharing and managing dashboard permissions in Databricks
Schedule an automatic dashboard refresh
Create visualizations in notebooks and the SQL editor
Creating and configuring alerts in Databricks SQL

Developing, Sharing, and Maintaining AI BI Genie spaces

Introduction to AI BI Genie and Genie Spaces
Creating an AI BI Genie Space in Databricks
Optimizing AI BI Genie Spaces - Monitoring, feedback, instructions, benchmarks
Managing permissions and sharing AI BI Genie Spaces

Data Modeling with Databricks SQL

Understanding fact and dimension tables in data modeling
Designing star and snowflake schemas
Data vault modeling - hubs, links, and satellites
Medallion architecture - bronze, silver, and gold layers
Building streaming tables with the Medallion architecture
Last mile ETL explained

Analyzing Queries

Introduction to Photon in Databricks
Analyzing query performance with query history and query profile
Understanding CACHE TABLE in Databricks
Liquid clustering in Databricks
Data enhancements explained
Delta Lake VACUUM - Removing obsolete data files

Summary

Summary