A Beginner's Guide to Apache Flink – 12 Key Terms, Explained

Overview

In this post, I will go through 12 core Apache Flink concepts to better understand what it does and how it works. This article could perfectly serve as a beginner's overview of Flink and Streaming engine terminology.

1.      What is Apache Flink?

At first glance, the origins of Apache Flink can be traced back to June 2008 as a researching project of the Database Systems and Information Management (DIMA) Group at the Technische Universität (TU) Berlin in Germany.

Apache Flink is an open source platform for distributed stream and batch data processing, initially it was designed as an alternative to MapReduce and the Hadoop Distributed File System (HFDS) in Hadoop origins.

According to the Apache Flink project, it is an open source platform for distributed stream and batch data processing. Flink’s core is a streaming dataflow engine that provides data distribution, communication, and fault tolerance for distributed computations over data streams. Flink also builds batch processing on top of the streaming engine, overlaying native iteration support, managed memory, and program optimization.”

IT4BI becomes BDMA!

The Master's Degree in Information Technologies for Business Intelligence (IT4BI) received its first generation of students in September 2012. One year later, the second generation of which I was part, would be welcomed to start studies in Brussels as well.

Since its beginning, IT4BI has been facilitating learning, research and international collaboration in a positive and friendly atmosphere, thus providing the means for personal and professional development of many people around the World.

By the end of September 2016, the fifth generation of IT4BI students will have started their studies in Brussels while the third generation completes their thesis defences and the fourth generation begins their specialisation semesters in Barcelona, Berlin and Paris.

In September 2017, IT4BI will become BDMA, which stands for "Big Data Management and Analytics". BDMA focuses on the new needs of research, education, and industry with respect to Big Data and will keep on receiving the support of the European Commission as part of the Erasmus+ Programme.

IT4BI has literally changed many lives and there are no doubts that BDMA will keep on doing so. You may learn more about BDMA programme on the official website.