Data Engineer
hardde-schema-evolution
How do you handle schema evolution in data pipelines without breaking consumers?
Answer
Schema evolution needs compatibility rules.
Strategies:
- Prefer additive changes (new nullable fields)
- Version schemas when breaking changes are unavoidable
- Validate producers/consumers in CI
- Use contracts for events/tables
Document changes and coordinate rollouts so downstream jobs and BI dashboards don’t silently break.
Related Topics
SchemaGovernanceReliability