Hive provides an SQL-like interface to query and analyze large datasets stored in Hadoop Distributed File System (HDFS). It allows users familiar with SQL to write queries that retrieve and manipulate data in tables stored as flat files in HDFS. Hive allows data summarization, query, and analysis without needing to write MapReduce programs directly.

1. Ramesh Kaluri
Accessing Hadoop Data Using Hive
September 21, 2015