What’s a Big Data platform?

Actually, I’ve no complete answer to this question. However I know that a Big Data platform should help us to address emerging and future – partially unknown – needs, as well as to start solving present issues.

First of all we need to get a clear insight into the big data context. This blog may be helpful to this purpose.

Shaku Atre sets up a framework of rules to help define a Big Data System: the Top Ten Rules of Big Data Systems.

Rule #1 (Big Data System for Business Analytics) qualifies a Data System as a Big Data System: it’s a function of 5Vs. I’ve already commented the correlation between Big Data and the “V” dimensions in a separated post, pointing out that Value is the most meaningful V for Big Data. Therefore, I agree with Shaku who affirms that the Volume is really the last characteristic and not the first one.

Rule #2 (Big Data System Access) points out that we need to have a “User Friendly System” instead of looking for “System Friendly Users”. Totally agree! We have to add 1 S (Simplicity – of use) to the 5 Vs. Shaku lists 5 big data system access criteria, namely: usability, consistency, integrity, easy access and scalability.

Rule #3 (Big Data System Scalability) focuses on the system capability of sustaining the growth of many dimensions: data, users, devices and channels sending and receiving data, functionalities, interactions and performances.

Rule #4 (Big Data System Flexibility Rule) is my favourite rule. Here are some statements by Shaku that I particularly like: “the architecture should be open” outlining that she is encouraging the vendors’ commitment to use open standards. Moreover, easy integration is crucial to allow the platform to “integrate existing systems and applications via support for standards and extensive APIs”.

Today I don’t know what a BIG DATA data platform is: I know that I want a user friendly, scalable and flexible open source BIG DATA platform!

More Shaku’s rules are coming out right now, while I’m writing this post: stay tuned!

One Reply to “What’s a Big Data platform?”

  1. code — to business analysts. That heretical idea presupposes a fundamentally different approach to development, where developers isolate an application’s business logic from its data validation logic — usually a GUI of some kind — and from its flow control. The business logic then gets its own container, the BRMS, in which business analysts “code” business rules in a simple, English-like programming language. Leading BRMS products include ILOG’s JRules, Fair Isaac’s Blaze Advisor, the Corticon Decision Management System, and Production Systems Technology’s (PST’s) OPSJ (Official Production System for Java). Even Microsoft is getting into the act with a Business Rules Framework for BizTalk 2004.

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