Introduction to Big Data

Characteristics of Big Data

Big data is a concept to store and process huge amount of data which is having following characteristics:

volume: big data doesn't sample, it just observes and tracks what happens, so have unlimited storage.The quantity of generated and stored data. The size of the data determines the value and potential insight- and whether it can actually be considered big data or not.

velocity: big data is often available in real-time, speed is high as it is schema free approach. In this context, the speed at which the data is generated and processed to meet the demands and challenges that lie in the path of growth and development.


variety: big data draws from text, images, audio, video, etc. The type and nature of the data(structured / unstructured data). This helps people who analyze it to effectively use the resulting insight.

variability: Inconsistency of the data set can hamper processes to handle and manage it.

veracity:The quality of captured data can vary greatly, affecting accurate analysis(Streaming Data Analysis).

value: It is how we make use of data that allows us to fully recognize its true value and potential to improve our decision making capabilities and, from a business stand point, measure it against the result of positive business outcomes.

                First 3 are the disadvantage of Relational Database Management System(RDBMS) as their volume are limited for data storage, variety having only structured data, and velocity is low as they are schema based structured. veracity and variability is not there in RDBMS.


Big data is useful for handling the data storage and processing which are beyond of RDBMS.

Data Storage and Processing Comparison

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