1. Data Engineering Is an Evolving Discipline

Data engineering is no longer just about ETL scripts or database maintenance. It has become a formal, dynamic discipline critical to modern data-driven companies. Reis and Housley define data engineering as the design, construction, and maintenance of systems that allow for the reliable collection, transformation, storage, and serving of data. The book emphasizes that the field sits at the intersection of software engineering, distributed systems, and data management. As the volume and velocity of data continue to grow, DEs must adopt architectural thinking and scalable tools .