Apache Spark in 24 Hours, Sams Teach Yourself

Book excerpt: Apache Spark is a fast, scalable, and flexible open source distributed processing engine for big data systems and is one of the most active open source big data projects to date. In just 24 lessons of one hour or less, Sams Teach Yourself Apache Spark in 24 Hours helps you build practical Big Data solutions that leverage Spark’s amazing speed, scalability, simplicity, and versatility. This book’s straightforward, step-by-step approach shows you how to deploy, program, optimize, manage, integrate, and extend Spark–now, and for years to come. You’ll discover how to create powerful solutions encompassing cloud computing, real-time stream processing, machine learning, and more. Every lesson builds on what you’ve already learned, giving you a rock-solid foundation for real-world success. Whether you are a data analyst, data engineer, data scientist, or data steward, learning Spark will help you to advance your career or embark on a new career in the booming area of Big Data. Learn how to • Discover what Apache Spark does and how it fits into the Big Data landscape • Deploy and run Spark locally or in the cloud • Interact with Spark from the shell • Make the most of the Spark Cluster Architecture • Develop Spark applications with Scala and functional Python • Program with the Spark API, including transformations and actions • Apply practical data engineering/analysis approaches designed for Spark • Use Resilient Distributed Datasets (RDDs) for caching, persistence, and output • Optimize Spark solution performance • Use Spark with SQL (via Spark SQL) and with NoSQL (via Cassandra) • Leverage cutting-edge functional programming techniques • Extend Spark with streaming, R, and Sparkling Water • Start building Spark-based machine learning and graph-processing applications • Explore advanced messaging technologies, including Kafka • Preview and prepare for Spark’s next generation of innovations Instructions walk you through common questions, issues, and tasks; Q-and-As, Quizzes, and Exercises build and test your knowledge; "Did You Know?" tips offer insider advice and shortcuts; and "Watch Out!" alerts help you avoid pitfalls. By the time you're finished, you'll be comfortable using Apache Spark to solve a wide spectrum of Big Data problems.