HCatalog Applications and Its Use Cases

1. Objective

In our last HCatalog tutorial, we discussed HCatalog and Pig Integration. Today, we will see HCatalog Applications and Use Cases. Also, we will discuss when to use HCatalog. There are several applications offered by HCatalog. By this HCatalog tutorial, we will know different benefits and need for HCatalog.

So, let’s start HCatalog Applications and Use Cases.

HCatalog Applications and its Use Cases

2. HCatalog Applications

As we know, there needs to be some layer of metadata and structure to interact with data, if we want to use any piece of data for some computation. Hence, this critical metadata service is provided by HCatalog, within Hadoop.

Simply put, HCatalog is a metadata and table management system for the broader Hadoop platform, as a key component of Apache Hive. In any format regardless of structure, HCatalog enables the storage of data. Both structured, as well as unstructured data, can be stored in Hadoop. Also, it can easily share information about the data’s structure in HCatalog.

Moreover, it can enable the sharing of the data structure with external systems which includes traditional data management tools. So, it is the glue which enables these systems to interact effectively and efficiently. Hence we can say it is a key component in helping Hadoop fit into the enterprise.

3. HCatalog In Use

However, in a variety of different ways, organizations are using HCatalog today. Thus, some key uses could be:

Use Cases of HCatalog

a. Enabling the right tool for right Job

For the purpose of data processing, Hadoop ecosystem contains different tools likeHive, Pig, and MapReduce. Since these tools do not need metadata, they can still benefit from it when it is present.

b. Capture processing states to enable sharing

We can publish our analytics results by using HCatalog. And, via “REST” API, other programmers can access our analytics platform. Basically, the schemas which are published by us are very useful to other data scientists. So, in this way, other data scientists use our discoveries as inputs into a subsequent discovery.

c. Integrate Hadoop with everything

As a processing and storage environment, Hadoop opens up a lot of opportunity for the enterprise. Although, make sure that it must work with augmenting existing tools, in order to fuel adoption.

4. Applications of HCatalog

Below given are some major HCatalog applications, let’s discuss them in detail:

MAjor applications of HCatalog

a. SQL Interface For Hadoop? HCatalog as Enabler

As Hive has reigned as the defacto SQL interface for Hadoop, since 2008, because it offers a relational view through SQL like language to data within Hadoop. Now, this same interface is published by HCatalog though it abstracts for data beyond Hive.  

Moreover, for external use, it also publishes a REST interface. With the help of this interface, our existing tools can interact with Hadoop in the way we expect by ODBC and JDBC into SQL.

b. Good For The Ecosystem is Good For You

Moreover, it helps to enable the ecosystem to more general SQL interaction to Hadoop. Also, to drive a Hadoop strategy within their products, our partners are building dedicated interfaces on top of this key interaction point.  

c. Hadoop Developer Productivity and HCatalog

Further, to share data and metadata across internal Hadoop tools such as Hive, Pig, and MapReduce, HCatalog permits developers easily. Also, without being concerned about how or where the data is stored, it helps to create applications.

In addition, we don’t have to explicitly type our structures in each program, since it is a repository for the schema that can be referred to in these programming models. Moreover, for users who do not use Hive to operate on the metastore with Hive DDL statements, HCatalog offers a command line tool. As the best feature, it also offers a notification service. So when a new data becomes available in the warehouse with the help of that notification service, workflow tools (like Oozie) get notified at the same time. 

So, this was all in HCatalog Applications and Use Cases. Hope you like our explanation.

5. Conclusion: HCatalog Applications and its Use Cases

Hence, we have seen all the HCatalog Applications and its Use Cases in detail. Moreover, we discussed when to use HCatalog and need for HCatalog. Still, if any doubt regarding HCatalog Applications and Use Cases, ask in the comment tab.