What is the purpose of Incremental Load?

Incremental load is a data integration technique designed to optimize the efficiency of data transfer processes. The primary purpose of incremental load is to capture and transfer only the changes made to the source data since the last load, rather than transferring the entire dataset each time. This approach significantly reduces the amount of data that needs to be moved, thereby minimizing the load on system resources and time required for data processing.

By focusing solely on new or modified data, incremental loading lowers the risk of errors and increases the speed of updates in the destination system. This method is particularly beneficial when dealing with large datasets or when frequent updates are necessary, as it conserves both bandwidth and processing power. In contrast, options such as transferring all data, creating backups of entire datasets, or deleting old data do not align with the core concept of incremental loading, which emphasizes efficiency and resource conservation in data transfers.