Where is the data stored for Impala?

Impala is an open-source distributed SQL query engine designed to quickly and efficiently process large datasets. It allows users to query data stored in the Hadoop Distributed File System (HDFS) using standard SQL syntax, leveraging table definitions and schema information provided by the Hive metastore service. By translating queries directly into native code execution, Impala avoids the delays seen in traditional SQL-on-Hadoop tools and can achieve near real-time query response.

When you create a table and load data in Impala, the data is actually stored in data blocks in HDFS. Impala’s awareness of the data storage location allows it to execute queries more efficiently by sending query tasks to the nodes where the data is located, reducing network transfer costs and improving query performance. Therefore, understanding that data is stored in HDFS helps optimize query performance and better utilize Impala for data analysis.