This is why you should use BI Engine for your BigQuery

Today, let's delve into the fascinating world of BI Engine, a powerful feature in Google BigQuery. If you're looking for quick, in-memory calculations to optimize your data queries, BI Engine might just be the solution you need.

Understanding BigQuery Basics

Before diving into BI Engine, it's essential to understand how BigQuery functions by default. When you run a query in BigQuery, the system scans the required data. For instance, scanning 1TB of data will result in a cost of $6, while scanning 100GB costs only 60 cents. You only pay for what you shift, making it a cost-efficient choice in data processing.

How BI Engine Works

BI Engine operates a bit differently. Instead of paying per scan, you reserve a server size between 1GB and 250GB. You'll be billed for the duration of this reservation, regardless of whether you use the server. The magic of BI Engine lies in its ability to smartly select which tables to load in memory based on your common queries. Unlike caching, this ensures that your data is always up-to-date.

Speeding Up Your Queries

When you initiate a query that can utilize BI Engine, not only do you experience a significant speed increase, but you also won't incur additional on-demand data scan costs. You only pay for your BI Engine reservation. This makes it a smart choice for heavy users of BigQuery.

Observing the Impact

To gauge the effectiveness of BI Engine, start with a modest reservation and expand as needed. Use Biq Blue to visualize your server's performance. Here, you can see a breakdown of queries processed via BI Engine versus on-demand processing. In some cases, up to 50% of queries can successfully leverage BI Engine.

Cost Optimization

One key factor to consider is cost optimization. For instance, if the total cost of on-demand queries exceeds the reservation fees for BI Engine, it's wise to keep the service running. Conversely, if running BI Engine is pricier than on-demand queries, it may be time to pause the service.

Increased Efficiency

Aside from financial considerations, the performance boost BI Engine provides is invaluable. Users report significantly faster query response times, which can enhance overall efficiency in data analysis and reporting.

⭐ Conclusion

In conclusion, BI Engine is a feature worth exploring for anyone utilizing BigQuery. Activation is straightforward, requiring just a couple of clicks. Once set up, you can monitor its impact on your queries using Biq Blue. With the potential for enhanced performance and cost savings, BI Engine could be the upgrade your data processes need.