Which artifact provides checks on the freshness of data sources?

The Sources Artifact is designed to provide checks on the freshness of data sources. Within the dbt framework, this artifact plays a crucial role in ensuring that the raw data being ingested into the data warehouse is timely and relevant. The Sources Artifact allows you to define and monitor the data sources used in your analytics workflow, specifically indicating when data was last updated or ingested.

By utilizing this artifact, analytics engineers can set up freshness checks that help maintain the integrity and reliability of the data being analyzed. This is particularly important in dynamic environments where data availability can fluctuate, as it helps identify any issues with data that may impact downstream analyses and reporting.

In contrast, the Catalog Artifact is primarily focused on documenting the structure and metadata of models, including descriptions of fields and model dependencies, rather than monitoring freshness. Generic Tests, on the other hand, are used to validate data quality and ensure certain conditions are met within your data (like counts or uniqueness), but they do not specifically address the freshness of the sources. The Tests Directory involves a collection of tests that can validate various aspects of your data, but freshness checks are specifically tied to the Sources Artifact.