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Data & Analytics · Intermediate

Apache Avro

A row-based binary file format with an embedded JSON schema, well suited to streaming, write-heavy workloads and schema evolution.

Definition

Avro is popular with Kafka and Schema Registry because each record is compact and schemas can evolve with defaults. Being row-oriented, it is less efficient than Parquet for analytic scans. BigQuery loads Avro quickly because files can be read in parallel.

Exam tip

Avro = row-based and streaming-friendly with strong schema evolution; Parquet/ORC = columnar analytics.

Related terms