Big Data For Dummies

Chapter 2

Examining Big Data Types

In This Chapter

Identifying structured and unstructured data

Recognizing real-time and non-real-time requirements for data types

Integrating data types into a big data environment

Variety is the spice of life, and variety is one of the principles of big data. In Chapter 1, we discuss the importance of being able to manage the variety of data types. Clearly, big data encompasses everything from dollar transactions to tweets to images to audio. Therefore, taking advantage of big data requires that all this information be integrated for analysis and data management. Doing this type of activity is harder than it sounds. In this chapter, we examine the two main types of data that make up big data — structured and unstructured — and provide you with definitions and examples of each.

Although data management has been around for a long time, two factors are new in the big data world:

Some sources of big data are actually new like the data generated from sensors, smartphone, and tablets.

Previously produced data hadn’t been captured or stored and analyzed ...