What is Apache Sqoop?
Apache Sqoop (SQL-to-Hadoop) is a data transfer tool that simplifies the import/export of bulk data between Hadoop and structured or unstructured data stores like RDBMS, NoSQL, and cloud-based storages in real-time, increasing efficiency and speed of data transfer.
Apache Sqoop is used to transfer structured data into Hadoop and to export processed data from Hadoop. The transfer of data takes place in two stages:
- The initial transfer of data.
- The automatic generation of Java classes that allow developers to interact with the data in Hadoop.
How Apache Sqoop Works
Apache Sqoop works by connecting Hadoop and RDBMS, using connectors to extract the data from the relational databases to Hadoop Distributed File System (HDFS), and storing it as a serialized object file. It then converts the serialized objects into Hadoop readable format and then imports the data to Hadoop or exports processed data from Hadoop.
Apache Sqoop also provides the ability to import data from a non-relational database to Hadoop. This task can be done using the --query argument, which gets the SQL query that will fetch the data from the non-relational database.
Why Apache Sqoop is Important and Benefits
Apache Sqoop is essential for businesses involved in data processing and analytics for the following reasons:
- Increase Efficiency: Apache Sqoop simplifies the process of importing and exporting bulk data from RDBMS and other data stores into Hadoop in real-time, reducing the time it takes to transfer data
- Data Integrity: The imported data is stored in Hadoop Distributed File System (HDFS), providing access to all the features provided by Hadoop, ensuring data integrity, and providing a data lake architecture for processing big data
- Open-source and Cost-effective: Apache Sqoop is an open-source project, and as such, it is free to use and eliminates the need for expensive proprietary ETL tools
The Most Important Apache Sqoop Use Cases
The most important Apache Sqoop use cases include:
- The import/export of data between Hadoop and RDBMS/NoSQL/cloud storage systems
- The integration of Hadoop data stores with business intelligence tools for real-time analytics
- Migrating data from a legacy system to a Hadoop-based system
Other Technologies or Terms Related to Apache Sqoop
Other technologies or terms closely related to Apache Sqoop include:
- Apache Kafka: A distributed publish-subscribe messaging system that can be used with Apache Sqoop to ingest real-time data into Hadoop
- Apache Flume: A distributed, reliable, and available service for efficiently collecting, aggregating, and moving large amounts of log data from many different sources to a centralized data store, including Hadoop
- Apache NiFi: An easy-to-use, powerful, and reliable system to process and distribute data from any source to any destination with near-zero latency
Why Dremio Users Would Be Interested in Apache Sqoop
Dremio users would be interested in Apache Sqoop because Dremio is a data virtualization tool that provides access to all your data, no matter where it is stored, without having to copy or move data to a new location. Apache Sqoop can be used to import data from various structured and non-structured data sources into Hadoop and then connect Dremio to Hadoop to access that data virtually. This eliminates the time and cost associated with moving data to a new location while providing a virtual data access layer for the data that has been imported.
