
105
4
HBase and Other Big Data Databases
EVOLUTION FROM FLAT FILE TO THE THREE V’S
We have now discussed the evolution of data storage and the growth of
processing power, and have also explored some of the data that are now
being generated and how they are being used. Now we can dig into the big
data phenomenon more deeply. We can now tie this discussion together.
Again, we will do so using an evolutionary approach.
Simply put, big data is currently enjoying a positive feedback loop. e
Wikipedia denition of this is concise and insightful: “Positive feed-
back is a process in which the eects of a small disturbance on a system
include an increa