Chapter 2. Installing and Configuring Hadoop

After you have decided on your cluster layout and size, it is time to get Hadoop installed and get the cluster operational. We will walk you through the installation and configuration steps for three core Hadoop components: NameNode, DataNode, and JobTracker. We will also review different options for configuring NameNode High Availability and ways of quickly assessing cluster's health and performance. By the end of this chapter, you should have your Hadoop cluster up and running. We will keep the structure of the cluster similar to what was outlined in Chapter 1, Setting Up Hadoop Cluster – from Hardware to Distribution.