What is Apache Hadoop (HDFS)?

Apache Hadoop, particularly the Hadoop Distributed File System (HDFS), is an open-source framework developed by the Apache Software Foundation aimed at providing a cost-effective and high-performance solution for managing big data workloads on commodity hardware. It played a pivotal role in the evolution of modern data lakes by enabling the distributed storage and processing of large datasets. Hadoop's core components include HDFS for storage, and MapReduce for processing, which operates by executing complex queries in parallel across multiple nodes to enhance efficiency. Despite its benefits of scalability, cost-efficiency, versatility, and adaptability, Hadoop faces limitations such as complexity, rigidity in cloud environments, and performance issues with MapReduce. The advent of cloud-native solutions has challenged its dominance, leading to developments like Starburst Galaxy, which supports migrations from Hadoop by offering improved query performance and integration with existing data systems. As organizations seek more accessible and scalable data processing solutions, Hadoop remains foundational, with technologies building upon its framework to better suit modern needs.