What type of engine is Databricks Photon?

Databricks Photon is a vectorized query engine designed to leverage the capabilities of modern hardware for enhanced performance. This type of engine processes data in large blocks, using vectorized execution, which allows it to take advantage of SIMD (Single Instruction, Multiple Data) operations available in modern CPUs. By doing so, Photon can significantly speed up query processing times and improve overall performance, especially for complex analytical queries.

In contrast, while a high-performance SQL transaction engine may focus on executing SQL commands efficiently and support transaction management, the essence of Photon lies in its vectorized nature, optimizing the execution of queries rather than solely focusing on transactional aspects. Similarly, a data warehousing tool typically offers functions for storing and managing large datasets, but Photon specifically emphasizes the performance aspect of querying. Lastly, an ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) processing system addresses data integration and preparation tasks, which is different from the primary function of Photon as it does not focus on these data manipulation processes but rather on executing queries rapidly.