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Set up a local environment

In this step, we'll

  • Install the example code
  • Set up a local environment
  • Ensure we can run Airflow locally.

Installation & project structure​

First, we'll create a fresh virtual environment using uv.

pip install uv
uv venv
source .venv/bin/activate

Next, we'll install Dagster, and verify that the dagster CLI is available.

uv pip install dagster
dagster --version

First, we'll create a fresh virtual environment using uv.

dagster project from-example --name airlift-migration-tutorial --example airlift-migration-tutorial

Project structure​

The following explains the structure of the repo.

tutorial_example
├── shared: Contains shared Python & SQL code used Airflow and proxied Dagster code
│
├── dagster_defs: Contains Dagster definitions
│   ├── stages: Contains reference implementations of each stage of the migration process
│   ├── definitions.py: Empty starter file for following along with the tutorial
│
├── airflow_dags: Contains the Airflow DAG and associated files
│   ├── proxied_state: Contains migration state files for each DAG, see migration step below
│   ├── dags.py: The Airflow DAG definition

Running Airflow locally​

The tutorial example involves running a local Airflow instance. This can be done by running the following commands from the root of the airlift-migration-tutorial directory.

First, install the required python packages:

make airflow_install

Next, scaffold the Airflow instance, and initialize the dbt project:

make airflow_setup

Finally, run the Airflow instance with environment variables set:

make airflow_run

This will run the Airflow Web UI in a shell. You should now be able to access the Airflow UI at http://localhost:8080, with the default username and password set to admin.

You should be able to see the rebuild_customers_list DAG in the Airflow UI, made up of three tasks: load_raw_customers, run_dbt_model, and export_customers.

Rebuild customers list DAG

Next steps​

The next step is to peer a Dagster installation with the Airflow Instance. Click here to follow along for part 2.