Apache Hadoop on Windows Azure - Now in CTP

This is a huge subject - Big Data so I'm not going to attempt to explain what it is here. But what I will say is the Apache Hadoop project is now available in Azure as a CTP offering (which is one way to implement Big Data). You also have the opportunity to get on the Technical Adoption Programme (TAP) and work directly with the Microsoft Azure product group.

Being on the TAP enables you to give feedback on what you think of early drops of Microsoft software which in turn allows you to help shape Microsoft products.

Here is a snip from the Apache Hadoop project website on what it is:

The Apache™ Hadoop™ project develops open-source software for reliable, scalable, distributed computing. 

The Apache Hadoop software library is a framework that allows for the distributed processing of large data sets across clusters of computers using a simple programming model. It is designed to scale up from single servers to thousands of machines, each offering local computation and storage. Rather than rely on hardware to deliver high-avaiability, the library itself is designed to detect and handle failures at the application layer, so delivering a highly-availabile service on top of a cluster of computers, each of which may be prone to failures.

To learn more about the Apache Hadoop project, see here: http://hadoop.apache.org/

For more information on Hadoop for Windows Azure, see here: https://www.hadooponazure.com/ and to register to be considered for this CTP, please see here: https://connect.microsoft.com/SQLServer/Survey/Survey.aspx?SurveyID=13697