Tuning the Iceberg: Practical Strategies for Optimizing Tables and Queries

Apache Iceberg unlocks scalable, open table formats for the modern data lake—but performance doesn’t come by default. In this talk, we’ll dive into the hands-on techniques and architectural patterns that ensure your Iceberg tables and queries stay lean and lightning-fast. From data compaction and clustering to compression strategies and caching layers, we’ll explore how each lever impacts performance, cost, and query latency. You’ll also learn how modern engines like Dremio optimize queries behind the scenes and how to align your table design with those optimizations. Whether you’re running Iceberg in the cloud or on-prem, this session will give you a practical performance toolkit to get the most from your lakehouse architecture.