Dagster Components

Dagster Components provide a class-based interface (Component) for dynamically constructing Dagster definitions from arbitrary data sources, such as third-party integrations. They’re designed to simplify orchestration by encapsulating complex logic into reusable, declarative building blocks.

To ground this in a practical example: a component can manage our dlt connection between Postgres and DuckDB. This eliminates the need for low-level setup—like CLI initialization with external libraries—and lets you focus solely on the relevant inputs and outputs for your use case.

This approach is especially effective for common workflows like database replication, which shouldn’t require extensive custom development. Instead, users can provide a few configuration values, such as connection credentials or table filters, and let the component handle the orchestration. This lowers the barrier for non-engineers or new users, enabling them to integrate systems in Dagster without needing deep expertise in the framework’s internals.

Let’s walk through how to configure Postgres-to-DuckDB replication using a Dagster component. You’ll see how much simpler and cleaner your setup becomes when you rely on components to manage orchestration and integration behind the scenes.