Best Query Engines for Cloudera Data Warehouse

Apache Hive is a data warehouse solution that enables the efficient reading, writing, and management of substantial datasets stored across distributed systems using SQL. It allows users to apply structure to pre-existing data in storage. To facilitate user access, it comes equipped with a command line interface and a JDBC driver. As an open-source initiative, Apache Hive is maintained by dedicated volunteers at the Apache Software Foundation. Initially part of the Apache® Hadoop® ecosystem, it has since evolved into an independent top-level project. We invite you to explore the project further and share your knowledge to enhance its development. Users typically implement traditional SQL queries through the MapReduce Java API, which can complicate the execution of SQL applications on distributed data. However, Hive simplifies this process by offering a SQL abstraction that allows for the integration of SQL-like queries, known as HiveQL, into the underlying Java framework, eliminating the need to delve into the complexities of the low-level Java API. This makes working with large datasets more accessible and efficient for developers.

Impala offers rapid response times and accommodates numerous concurrent users for business intelligence and analytical inquiries within the Hadoop ecosystem, supporting technologies such as Iceberg, various open data formats, and multiple cloud storage solutions. Additionally, it exhibits linear scalability, even when deployed in environments with multiple tenants. The platform seamlessly integrates with Hadoop's native security measures and employs Kerberos for user authentication, while the Ranger module provides a means to manage permissions, ensuring that only authorized users and applications can access specific data. You can leverage the same file formats, data types, metadata, and frameworks for security and resource management as those used in your Hadoop setup, avoiding unnecessary infrastructure and preventing data duplication or conversion. For users familiar with Apache Hive, Impala is compatible with the same metadata and ODBC driver, streamlining the transition. It also supports SQL, which eliminates the need to develop a new implementation from scratch. With Impala, a greater number of users can access and analyze a wider array of data through a unified repository, relying on metadata that tracks information right from the source to analysis. This unified approach enhances efficiency and optimizes data accessibility across various applications.