Understanding Hadoop Basics

Basics of HDFS and MapReduce | Introduction to Big Data (2)

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I personally feel like big data is a topic that is really hard to get into when you first start learning about it.

I remember being overwhelmed by all the acronyms, buzzwords, and those big, intimidating diagrams that try to explain how Hadoop works (it’s funny because I put an intimidating diagram at the top of this article).

In my previous article, I talked about what Hadoop is and a bit about how it came to be. But now, it’s time to zoom in and explore what Hadoop is actually made of and what makes it such a powerful framework for working with massive datasets.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by all those Hadoop abbreviations (HDFS, MapReduce, etc), don’t worry. In this article, I’m going to break it all down using simple language, relatable analogies, and examples that (hopefully!) make you smile.

Table of Contents

• What life looked like before Hadoop
• How Hadoop flipped the traditional model on its head
• How Hadoop Distributed File…