News

MapR Adds JSON Support to NoSQL Database for Big Data Analytics

• By David Ramel
• September 29, 2015

MapR Technologies Inc., known as one of the top commercial vendors distributing Big Data software based on Apache Hadoop technology, today added JSON support to its MapR-DB NoSQL database, claiming the "industry's first in-Hadoop document database."

Based on JavaScript, JSON is an open standard often used for transmitting data across networks, replacing XML in the traditional Asynchronous JavaScript and XML (AJAX) Web stack and subsequently put to all kinds of new uses. To augment its Big Data software, MapR announced the Open JSON Application Interface (OJAI), designed to be a general-purpose API for working with JSON in all Hadoop implementations and frameworks.

"JSON is a popular data format that is critical in the Big Data world because it's great for modeling a wide variety of data formats and provides flexible schema," said MapR's Bharat Baddepudi in a blog post today. "While it is based on JavaScript syntax, its applicability in the market goes well beyond its original use as a structure in JavaScript. Whether your data is hierarchical, nested, or evolving, JSON can capture those formats in a self-describing and human readable way."

By adding JSON support to its MapR-DB NoSQL database, MapR said Big Data developers will be able to more quickly build continuous analytics solutions working with real-time data.

"Developers benefit from the advantages of a document database combined with the scale, reliability and integrated analytics of enterprise-grade Hadoop and Spark," the company said in a statement today. "These capabilities will enhance an organization's ability to improve a range of use cases -- from personalizing and delivering the best online shopping experience, to reducing risk and preventing fraud in real-time, to improving manufacturing efficiencies and lowering costs."

MapR is providing a preview package of MapR-DB with JSON support for developers to download now, with general availability scheduled for next quarter.