Big Data Analytical Platform on Alibaba Cloud

Alibaba Cloud Academy via Coursera

Go to Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/alibabacloudbigdata

Introduction

# Course Review: Big Data Analytical Platform on Alibaba Cloud ## Overview In today’s fast-paced digital world, the ability to harness and interpret large datasets is essential for businesses striving for competitive advantages. Coursera's "Big Data Analytical Platform on Alibaba Cloud" course offers a comprehensive and hands-on introduction to leveraging Alibaba Cloud’s Big Data products, equipping learners with the necessary skills to build an analytical platform. This course is particularly aimed at engineers who want to deepen their knowledge in big data and distributed systems while utilizing the powerful tools offered by Alibaba Cloud. ## Course Structure The course is meticulously crafted with a well-structured syllabus that spans a variety of essential topics, ensuring that learners can follow a logical progression while absorbing the intricate details of big data technology. 1. **Intro to Hadoop**: The course kicks off with an introduction to Apache Hadoop, explaining its significance as a framework for distributed storage and processing. This foundational knowledge is crucial for any engineer stepping into the world of big data. 2. **Hadoop on Alibaba Cloud**: Building on the basics, this module delves into specific applications of Hadoop within the Alibaba Cloud environment, focusing on tools such as E-MapReduce, Hive, and Spark, helping learners connect theory to real-world applications. 3. **Big Data Product Overview**: A broad overview of Alibaba Cloud's Big Data products arms learners with knowledge about different architectures and use cases, setting the stage for deeper dives in subsequent modules. 4. **MaxCompute Basics**: The course introduces MaxCompute, a crucial data processing platform, encompassing its architecture, functionalities, and use cases, which are pivotal for any data engineer. 5. **MaxCompute SQL**: Learners are trained in the SQL language utilized for batch computing, enabling proficient handling of extensive datasets, essential for jobs with large data volumes. 6. **MaxCompute UDF**: This segment teaches users how to create User-Defined Functions to tailor the data processing engine to specific needs, encouraging customization and optimization. 7. **MaxCompute Security**: Addressing one of the most critical aspects of data management, this module covers security protocols necessary for multi-tenant environments, ensuring data confidentiality and compliance. 8. **DataWorks Basics**: DataWorks, Alibaba Cloud's Big Data development platform, is introduced, marking a crucial step in understanding the pipeline from data collection to processing and monitoring. 9. **Data Visualization**: A well-rounded approach to big data includes not just analysis but also effectively sharing insights. This module covers various graphing techniques, empowering users to present their findings compellingly. 10. **PAI Overview**: The final component of the course offers an introduction to the Platform for Artificial Intelligence (PAI), providing an understanding of machine learning algorithms and their application to big data, which is becoming increasingly important in today's AI-driven landscape. ## My Experience Having gone through the course, I was particularly impressed by the depth and clarity of the content. Each module is well-paced, allowing ample opportunity for learners to engage with the material through practical exercises and real-life scenarios. The hands-on approach facilitated my understanding of complex concepts, and the interactive elements kept me motivated throughout the learning journey. ## Recommendations I highly recommend the "Big Data Analytical Platform on Alibaba Cloud" course for anyone looking to enhance their expertise in big data analytics, whether you are a beginner eager to learn the basics or an experienced engineer wishing to refine your skills with Alibaba Cloud's robust tools. The combination of theoretical knowledge coupled with real-world applications makes this course an invaluable resource. Moreover, earning an official Alibaba Cloud certificate not only reflects competence in big data technologies but also enhances one’s professional portfolio, showcasing your commitment to mastering relevant and future-ready skills. In conclusion, if you're passionate about big data and wish to leverage the potential of Alibaba Cloud, this course offers an excellent pathway. Dive in and unlock the potential of big data analytics today!

Syllabus

Intro to Hadoop

Apache Hadoop is a collection of open-source software utilities that facilitate using a network of many computers to solve problems involving massive amounts of data and computation. It provides a software framework for distributed storage and processing of big data using the MapReduce programming model. This module will give you an introduction to Hadoop's features.

Hadoop on Alibaba Cloud

This module will dive deeper into the functions of Hadoop and particularly their applications through the Alibaba Cloud Platform. Courses will touch upon the uses of E-MapReduce, Hive, and Spark.

Big Data Product Overview

Get an overview of all of Alibaba Clouds Big Data products, their different architectures, and use scenarios.

MaxCompute Basic

MaxCompute (previously known as ODPS) is a general purpose, fully managed, multi-tenancy data processing platform for large-scale data warehousing. MaxCompute supports various data importing solutions and distributed computing models, enabling users to effectively query massive datasets, reduce production costs, and ensure data security. Learn the basics of this products use in this module.

MaxCompute SQL

MaxCompute SQL is used for offline batch computing and computing scenarios that involve gigabytes, terabytes, or exabytes of data. MaxCompute is suitable for batch jobs that process large volumes of data. Learn more about the MaxCompute SQL language and uses in this module.

MaxCompute UDF

MaxCompute User-Defined Functions help users customize their data engine to produce useful results. Learn how to develop functions and apply them to MaxCompute in this module.

MaxCompute Security

By using symmetric AccessKey pairs, MaxCompute is designed to handle security issues in multi-tenant scenarios. MaxCompute Security measures help meet the requirements for multi-user collaboration, data sharing, data confidentiality, and data security. Learn more in the module.

Dataworks Basic

DataWorks is a Big Data platform product launched by Alibaba Cloud. It provides one-stop Big Data development, data permission management, and offline job scheduling. The process of acquisition, processing, and monitoring are all explained in this module.

Data Visualization

Displaying your data in a clear and concise way is the key final step to making your data work for you. This module explains different types of graphing methods as well as gives a demo to walk users through creating their first graphs.

PAI Overview

The Platform for Artificial Intelligence helps users design machine learning algorithms to read large sets of data while teaching itself how to be more accurate and useful. This module gives basic architectures of PAI while teaching PAI's best practices.