What components are included in the data or process pipeline?

A data or process pipeline consists of several key components that ensure sequential and automated processing:

1. Data Source (Input) — the place where data or tasks originate (e.g., database, files, API).
2. Processing Stages — sequential steps where data is transformed, filtered, validated, or analyzed.
3. Automation Tools — tools that manage the execution of stages (e.g., Jenkins, GitLab CI, Apache Airflow).
4. Storage of intermediate and final results — databases, file systems, or caches for storing data between stages.
5. Monitoring and Logging — tracking the pipeline's status, errors, and performance.

In QA automation, a pipeline may include building, running tests, analyzing results, and deploying the test environment.