News
Microsoft Previews Hadoop Connectors for SQL ServerThe company hinted that more tooling is on the way for big data integrations.
Microsoft is previewing test versions of its Hadoop connectors, designed to enable the transfer of structured and unstructured data with SQL Server and SQL Server Parallel Data Warehouse in heterogeneous environments.
Hadoop is an Apache open source framework for running applications on clusters using commodity hardware.Both connectors are designed to enable two-way movement of data between the systems. The SQL to Hadoop (SQOOP) command-line tool is used by the connector to transfer data from the Hadoop File System to SQL Server. The connector also uses the bulk load/extract tool in PDW to quickly import or export data.
One Hadoop connector is designed to work with SQL Server 2008 R2 and is available for download as a CTP test release. Microsoft's PDW customers can get a copy of the Hadoop connector CTP release for PDW by requesting it through Microsoft's customer support service, according to Microsoft's announcement.
The Hadoop connector for SQL Server 2008 R2 is also compatible for use with SQL Server code-named "Denali," Microsoft's next-generation relational database management system. Denali is currently available as a CTP3 release.
Microsoft had signaled its planned rollout of the two Hadoop connector CTP releases earlier this month. Organizations use Hadoop to run "big data" business intelligence-type operations. Practical applications include supply-chain management, sales analytics, call-center record analysis, Web event analysis and financial reporting.
Microsoft's announcement hinted that there will more to come next year on such big data integrations. The company already offers two other connector solutions: The Microsoft Informatica connector for SQL Server PDW and the Microsoft SAP Business Objects DI connector for SQL Server PDW. Both of those connectors are currently available by contacting Microsoft's customer support services.
