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Apache Hive VS Apache ORC

Compare Apache Hive VS Apache ORC and see what are their differences

Apache Hive logo Apache Hive

Apache Hive data warehouse software facilitates querying and managing large datasets residing in distributed storage.

Apache ORC logo Apache ORC

Apache ORC is a columnar storage for Hadoop workloads.
  • Apache Hive Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-01-13
  • Apache ORC Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-09-18

Apache Hive features and specs

  • Scalability
    Apache Hive is built on top of Hadoop, allowing it to efficiently handle large datasets by distributing the load across a cluster of machines.
  • SQL-like Interface
    Hive provides a familiar SQL-like querying language, HiveQL, which makes it easier for users with SQL knowledge to perform data analysis on large datasets without needing to learn a new syntax.
  • Integration with Hadoop Ecosystem
    Hive integrates seamlessly with other components of the Hadoop ecosystem such as HDFS for storage and MapReduce for processing, making it a versatile tool for big data processing.
  • Schema on Read
    Hive uses a schema-on-read model which allows it to work with flexible data schemas and handle unstructured or semi-structured data efficiently.
  • Extensibility
    Users can extend Hive's capabilities by writing custom UDFs (User Defined Functions), UDAFs (User Defined Aggregate Functions), and SerDes (Serializers/ Deserializers).

Possible disadvantages of Apache Hive

  • Latency in Query Processing
    Queries in Hive often take longer to execute compared to traditional databases, as they are converted to MapReduce jobs which can introduce significant latency.
  • Limited Real-time Processing
    Hive is designed for batch processing and is not suitable for real-time analytics due to its reliance on MapReduce, which is not optimized for low-latency operations.
  • Complex Configuration
    Setting up Hive and configuring it to work optimally within a Hadoop cluster can be complex and require a significant amount of effort and expertise.
  • Lack of Support for Transactions
    Hive does not natively support full ACID transactions, which can be a limitation for applications that require consistent transaction management across large datasets.
  • Dependency on Hadoop
    Hive's reliance on the Hadoop ecosystem means it inherits some of Hadoop's limitations, such as a steep learning curve and the need for substantial resources to manage a cluster.

Apache ORC features and specs

  • Efficient Compression
    ORC provides highly efficient compression, which reduces the storage footprint of data and enhances performance by decreasing I/O operations.
  • Columnar Storage
    The columnar storage format significantly improves read performance by allowing for selective access to necessary columns while ignoring others.
  • Predicate Pushdown
    ORC supports predicate pushdown, enabling the query engine to skip over non-relevant data, thus enhancing query performance.
  • Type Richness
    ORC supports complex types (like structs and maps), making it suitable for diverse data storage and query needs.
  • Schema Evolution
    It facilitates seamless schema evolution, allowing easier adjustments to the dataset over time without breaking existing queries.
  • Built-in Indexes
    Indexes such as bloom filters and min/max values are built-in, accelerating query processing by enabling quicker data lookup.

Possible disadvantages of Apache ORC

  • Complexity
    The intricacies of its features may introduce additional complexity in implementation and maintenance, potentially increasing the learning curve.
  • Write Performance
    While ORC is optimized for read-heavy workloads, its write performance can be less efficient compared to other formats like Parquet.
  • Compatibility
    ORC may not be as widely supported as other formats, limiting the choice of tools and environments that can leverage its full capabilities.
  • Compression Overhead
    The process of compressing and decompressing data can introduce a computational overhead, affecting performance in some scenarios.

Apache Hive videos

Hive vs Impala - Comparing Apache Hive vs Apache Impala

Apache ORC videos

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Apache Hive and Apache ORC)
Databases
90 90%
10% 10
Big Data
83 83%
17% 17
Data Dashboard
0 0%
100% 100
Relational Databases
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Apache Hive should be more popular than Apache ORC. It has been mentiond 8 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Apache Hive mentions (8)

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Apache ORC mentions (3)

  • Java Serialization with Protocol Buffers
    The information can be stored in a database or as files, serialized in a standard format and with a schema agreed with your Data Engineering team. Depending on your information and requirements, it can be as simple as CSV, XML or JSON, or Big Data formats such as Parquet, Avro, ORC, Arrow, or message serialization formats like Protocol Buffers, FlatBuffers, MessagePack, Thrift, or Cap'n Proto. - Source: dev.to / almost 3 years ago
  • AWS EMR Cost Optimization Guide
    Data formatting is another place to make gains. When dealing with huge amounts of data, finding the data you need can take up a significant amount of your compute time. Apache Parquet and Apache ORC are columnar data formats optimized for analytics that pre-aggregate metadata about columns. If your EMR queries column intensive data like sum, max, or count, you can see significant speed improvements by reformatting... - Source: dev.to / almost 4 years ago
  • Apache Hudi - The Streaming Data Lake Platform
    The following stack captures layers of software components that make up Hudi, with each layer depending on and drawing strength from the layer below. Typically, data lake users write data out once using an open file format like Apache Parquet/ORC stored on top of extremely scalable cloud storage or distributed file systems. Hudi provides a self-managing data plane to ingest, transform and manage this data, in a... - Source: dev.to / about 4 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Apache Hive and Apache ORC, you can also consider the following products

Apache Spark - Apache Spark is an engine for big data processing, with built-in modules for streaming, SQL, machine learning and graph processing.

Apache Parquet - Apache Parquet is a columnar storage format available to any project in the Hadoop ecosystem.

Apache Doris - Apache Doris is an open-source real-time data warehouse for big data analytics.

Google BigQuery - A fully managed data warehouse for large-scale data analytics.

ClickHouse - ClickHouse is an open-source column-oriented database management system that allows generating analytical data reports in real time.

BlueData - BlueData's software platform makes it easier, faster and more cost-effective for organizations to deploy Big Data infrastructure on-premises.