Table of contents
Hadoop Modes of Operation
Hadoop can work in three different modes, each suited for different environments and use cases. Let’s look at them briefly:
1. Standalone Mode
This is the simplest mode of Hadoop. In Standalone Mode, Hadoop runs on a single machine and doesn’t use HDFS (Hadoop Distributed File System). It’s mostly used for testing and learning because there’s no real distribution of data or processing.
- No HDFS: Files are stored locally.
- No distributed processing: Everything happens on one machine.
- Use Case: Good for testing code or doing small experiments.
2. Pseudo-distributed Mode
In Pseudo-distributed Mode, Hadoop runs on a single machine, but it behaves as if it’s a distributed system. Each Hadoop service like NameNode, DataNode, and ResourceManager runs as a separate process on the same machine.
- HDFS is used: Data is distributed across simulated nodes (which are really just separate processes on the same machine).
- Single machine but acts distributed.
- Use Case: For developers who want to test on a single machine but still mimic how Hadoop behaves in a real environment.
3. Fully-Distributed Mode
In Fully-Distributed Mode, Hadoop runs across multiple machines. Each service (like NameNode, DataNode, etc.) runs on different machines, and data is truly distributed.
- Real distribution: Data is spread across many machines.
- Use Case: This is used in production environments where Hadoop processes large datasets across a cluster of machines.
Key Takeaway
- Standalone: All on one machine, no HDFS.
- Pseudo-distributed: Simulates distribution on one machine.
- Fully-distributed: Runs across multiple machines, real-world usage.