Hadoop with AI: How Big MNC’s are using Hadoop?

Ankit Shukla
6 min readDec 11, 2023

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Greetings and best wishes for an insightful read😇 ,

Hope this blog finds you great and healthy !!😊

Lets begin with brief introduction about me…..

Hi, This is Ankit Shukla and I am working as SDET Automation/functional Engineer in Regulatory Reporting Domain. In this article we will discuss about how big MNC’s like Google, Facebook, Instagram etc stores, manages and manipulate Thousands of Terabytes of data with High Speed and High Efficiency?

Before going deep dive into Hadoop worlds let me brief you with few terminologies that will help you keep shining while reading this blog:

Data:

Data refers to raw facts, observations, or values that are collected, recorded, or represented in a form suitable for processing.

It can take various forms, including numbers, text, images, videos, and more. Data is fundamental to the generation of information and knowledge, and it can be structured, semi-structured, or unstructured.

Big Data:

Big Data refers to datasets that are so large and complex that traditional data processing applications may struggle to handle them effectively.

The challenges associated with big data are often characterized by the three Vs (3 V’s):

  1. Volume: The sheer size of the data, often ranging from terabytes to petabytes and beyond.
  2. Velocity: The speed at which data is generated, collected, and needs to be processed (real-time or near-real-time).
  3. Variety: The diverse types and formats of data, including structured, semi-structured, and unstructured data.

Additionally, the concept of big data has been expanded to include two more Vs:

  1. Variability: The inconsistency or irregularity in the data flow, which may include periodic or unpredictable surges in data.
  2. Veracity: The uncertainty or reliability of the data, including issues related to accuracy, completeness, and trustworthiness.

Why Use Big Data?

Organizations and industries use big data for various reasons, leveraging its potential to gain insights, make informed decisions, and achieve specific objectives. Some key reasons for using big data include:

  1. Information and Insights: Big data analytics allows organizations to extract valuable information and insights from large and complex datasets. This can lead to a better understanding of customer behavior, market trends, and operational efficiency.
  2. Competitive Advantage: Organizations use big data to gain a competitive edge by making data-driven decisions. Analyzing vast amounts of data helps identify opportunities, predict trends, and respond quickly to market changes.
  3. Innovation: Big data is a source of innovation, enabling the development of new products, services, and business models. It fosters creativity and exploration of new possibilities through data-driven approaches.
  4. Operational Efficiency: By analyzing big data, organizations can optimize their operations, streamline processes, and identify areas for improvement. This can lead to cost savings and increased efficiency.
  5. Personalization: Big data analytics allows for personalized and targeted experiences for customers. Companies can tailor products, services, and marketing strategies based on individual preferences and behaviors.
  6. Real-Time Decision-Making: In scenarios where real-time or near-real-time decision-making is critical, big data technologies enable the processing of large volumes of data with minimal latency. This is particularly important in industries like finance, healthcare, and logistics.
  7. Risk Management: Big data analytics is employed to assess and manage risks by analyzing historical data, identifying patterns, and predicting potential risks or anomalies. This is especially relevant in industries such as finance and insurance.
  8. Scientific Research: Big data plays a crucial role in scientific research, facilitating the analysis of massive datasets in fields such as genomics, climate science, and particle physics.

Case Study: Enhancing Predictive Analytics with Hadoop and AI

Imagine a multinational e-commerce company facing the challenge of analyzing vast amounts of customer data to improve its predictive analytics and recommendation system. The company decides to integrate Hadoop and AI technologies to leverage the strengths of both for more effective data processing and machine learning.

Challenges:

  1. Large Volume of Data: The e-commerce platform generates an enormous volume of transactional and user interaction data daily.
  2. Real-Time Processing: The need for real-time processing to provide timely and personalized recommendations.
  3. Diverse Data Types: The data includes structured and unstructured information, such as customer profiles, purchase history, reviews, and clickstream data.

Hadoop and AI Implementation:

Hadoop Ecosystem:

HDFS:

  • The company utilizes Hadoop Distributed File System (HDFS) to store and manage large volumes of structured and unstructured data efficiently.

MapReduce:

  • Hadoop’s MapReduce facilitates the parallel processing of data, enabling the company to analyze and transform raw data into meaningful insights.

Hive and Spark:

  • Apache Hive and Apache Spark are employed for querying and processing data in a distributed manner.

AI Integration:

  • Machine Learning Models:
  • The company develops machine learning models using AI frameworks such as TensorFlow or PyTorch. These models are designed to analyze customer behavior, predict preferences, and generate personalized recommendations.
  • Scikit-Learn for Analytics: Scikit-Learn, a popular machine learning library in Python, is used for analytics tasks, including clustering and customer segmentation.
  1. Real-Time Processing:
  • Apache Kafka: To handle real-time data streams, Apache Kafka is integrated into the system. It helps in collecting and processing real-time customer interactions and events.

Predictive Analytics:

  • Integration of AI Models with Hadoop:
  • The machine learning models are integrated with Hadoop’s processing capabilities.
  • This integration allows for the deployment and execution of AI models at scale, leveraging the distributed computing power of Hadoop.
  • Continuous Learning: The system is designed for continuous learning, with AI models being updated and retrained periodically based on the latest data.

Results:

  1. Improved Recommendations: The integration of Hadoop and AI leads to more accurate and personalized product recommendations for customers based on their preferences, behaviors, and real-time interactions.
  2. Real-Time Insights: The platform can now provide real-time insights into customer trends and behavior, allowing the company to respond swiftly to changing market dynamics.
  3. Scalability: The combined Hadoop and AI infrastructure provides scalability, allowing the e-commerce company to handle the increasing volume of data and user interactions.
  4. Enhanced Customer Experience: Customers experience more relevant and timely recommendations, contributing to a better overall shopping experience.

Real-World Example: Alibaba Group

Alibaba Group, a global e-commerce giant based in China, utilizes a combination of Hadoop and AI technologies to enhance its data processing, analytics, and recommendation systems.

Challenges:

  1. Large Volume of Data: Alibaba processes massive amounts of transactional and user behavior data from its e-commerce platforms.
  2. Real-Time Processing: The need for real-time analytics to personalize user experiences and improve product recommendations.
  3. Diverse Data Types: Alibaba deals with a wide variety of data types, including customer profiles, search queries, and transaction histories.

Hadoop and AI Implementation:

Hadoop Ecosystem:

  • HDFS: Alibaba uses Hadoop Distributed File System (HDFS) to store and manage large volumes of structured and unstructured data.
  • MapReduce and Spark: Hadoop’s MapReduce and Apache Spark are employed for distributed data processing and analytics.
  • Hive and Impala: Hive and Impala enable SQL-like querying for data analysis.

AI Integration:

  • Machine Learning Models: Alibaba employs machine learning models to analyze user behavior, predict preferences, and provide personalized recommendations.
  • Deep Learning: Deep learning models, powered by frameworks like TensorFlow, are used for image and speech recognition, improving product search and recommendation accuracy.

Real-Time Processing:

  • Flink and Kafka: Alibaba integrates technologies like Apache Flink and Apache Kafka for real-time data processing and event streaming. This allows the company to respond in real-time to user interactions.

Predictive Analytics:

  1. AI on Cloud: Alibaba Cloud provides AI services, including machine learning and data analytics, allowing businesses to deploy and scale AI models in the cloud.

Results:

  1. Enhanced Recommendations: Alibaba’s integration of Hadoop and AI has led to more accurate and personalized product recommendations, contributing to increased user engagement and sales.
  2. Real-Time Insights: The real-time processing capabilities enable Alibaba to gain immediate insights into customer behavior, allowing the platform to adjust recommendations and promotions dynamically.
  3. Scalability: The combination of Hadoop and AI on Alibaba Cloud provides the scalability needed to handle the immense growth in data and user interactions.
  4. Improved Customer Experience: Alibaba’s focus on data-driven insights and personalized recommendations contributes to an enhanced overall customer experience on its e-commerce platforms.

Thanks for reading This Article !! 🎁😊

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Ankit Shukla
Ankit Shukla

Written by Ankit Shukla

| Software Developer | SDET |

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