What is Apache Ambari?
Apache Ambari, an open-source software, is a management platform that provides web-based user interfaces and APIs for monitoring, managing, and provisioning Apache Hadoop clusters. It simplifies the complexity of operating Hadoop ecosystems and provides a cohesive view for administrators and data scientists.
History
Apache Ambari was developed and donated to the Apache Software Foundation by Hortonworks. It was designed to fulfill the need for a scalable and easy-to-use management tool for Hadoop clusters. Apache Ambari became a top-level project in 2013 and has since undergone several updates, each enhancing its capabilities and addressing limitations.
Functionality and Features
Centralized management through a user-friendly web UI.Facilitates cluster monitoring with metrics and alerts.Offers full-stack deployment with Hadoop and its associated projects.Extensible and customizable via Ambari Stacks and Ambari Blueprints.
Architecture
Apache Ambari follows a master-slave architecture. The Ambari Server serves as the master and communicates with the Ambari Agent on each node in the cluster. The agents send back metrics and information to the server, allowing it to accurately manage and monitor the cluster's health.
Benefits and Use Cases
Apache Ambari is ideal for organizations that require easy cluster operations, service management, configuration, and installation. Its centralized management is beneficial for large Hadoop clusters, saving time and resources. Moreover, its extensibility allows for integration with a wide variety of Apache projects.
Challenges and Limitations
While Apache Ambari is an essential tool, it does present challenges. It is tightly coupled with Hadoop, providing limited support for non-Hadoop systems. Moreover, complex customization may require deeper knowledge of Ambari's internal workings.
Integration with Data Lakehouse
Apache Ambari management capabilities can support data lakehouse environments, where the blend of data lakes and data warehouses necessitates a robust, flexible monitoring and management system. However, it does not natively support non-Hadoop systems common in data lakehouses, like Delta Lake or Apache Iceberg.
Security Aspects
Apache Ambari provides essential security features such as Kerberos integration for authentication, role-based access control, LDAP/AD integration, and encrypted data transmission.
Performance
Apache Ambari significantly improves the performance of managing and monitoring Hadoop clusters, making it easier to identify performance bottlenecks and optimize resources.
Dremio and Apache Ambari
Dremio, a data lake engine, surpasses Apache Ambari with its ability to support a broader range of data sources. It delivers high-performance queries directly on data lake storage without the need for data movement and with the ease and flexibility of data lakehouse environments.
FAQs
What is Apache Ambari? - A tool for managing, monitoring, and provisioning Apache Hadoop clusters.
Why use Apache Ambari? - For its easy-to-use interface, centralized management, and scalability in handling large Hadoop clusters.Does Apache Ambari support non-Hadoop systems? - While primary support is for Hadoop, it can be extended to include some non-Hadoop systems.
How does Apache Ambari compare to Dremio? - Dremio delivers broader data source support, direct query performance on data lake storage, and enhanced data lakehouse functionality.
Is Apache Ambari secure? - Yes, it provides features like Kerberos integration, role-based access control, LDAP/AD integration, and encrypted data transmission.
Glossary
Hadoop: An open-source software platform for distributed storage and distributed processing of very large data sets.
Data Lake: A large, repository of raw data held in its native format.
Data Lakehouse: A new, open architecture that combines the best elements of data lakes and data warehouses.
Kerberos: A network authentication protocol designed to provide strong authentication for client/server applications.
LDAP/AD: Lightweight Directory Access Protocol/Active Directory, used for directory services, including user directory.
