Hadoop Version Explanation

TG
3:45:52 PM

What Is Apache Hadoop?

The Apache™ Hadoop® project develops open-source software for reliable, scalable, distributed computing.

The Apache Hadoop software library is a framework that allows for the distributed processing of large data sets across clusters of computers using simple programming models. It is designed to scale up from single servers to thousands of machines, each offering local computation and storage. Rather than rely on hardware to deliver high-availability, the library itself is designed to detect and handle failures at the application layer, so delivering a highly-available service on top of a cluster of computers, each of which may be prone to failures.


HADOOP "X,Y,Z"

X stands for Major Release ( may break compatibility)

key point: Change in features code need to recompile
Major Releases
Major releases signify incompatible API changes. Upgrading between major releases will generally require changes to user code. We try to facillitate API upgrades by introducing new APIs in the prior major version, deprecating APIs that will be removed.

A major release primarily just removes APIs and features that were deprecated in the prior major release. Thus, to upgrade to a new major release, one should update ones code so that it compiles without deprecation warnings in the final minor release of the prior major cycle.

Across all releases with the same major version, user-applications work without the need for 'any' change. Thus every release with the same major version is both API and 'on the wire' compatible.
Major releases are made as needed, perhaps annually or even further apart.

Y  stands for Minor Release ( back compatible)
key point: Changes but work with old API

Minor Releases
Minor releases are made regularly, every few months. Their APIs are back-compatible with prior minor releases, but might include new features, improvements and bug fixes. Also, across minor releases

Across all releases with the same major version, user-applications work without the need for 'any' change. Thus every release with the same major version is both API and 'on the wire' compatible.
Z  stands for Point Release ( back compatible)
key point: Changes and fix blocker bug

Point Releases
Point releases are made to fix blocker bugs from an operational perspective. They do not introduce new features or make other improvements other than fixing bugs. They are made on-demand.
Across all releases with the same major version, user-applications work without the need for 'any' change. Thus every release with the same major version is both API and 'on the wire' compatible.

Latest Stable release


06 July, 2015: Release 2.7.1 (stable) available

Release 3.3.6 available

This is a release of Apache Hadoop 3.3 line.

It contains 117 bug fixes, improvements and enhancements since 3.3.5. Users of Apache Hadoop 3.3.5 and earlier should upgrade to this release.