---
name: watsonxdata-data_stream_cloudera1
title: Integrating Cloudera in watsonx.data
description: ''
last-updated: 2026-05-05
---

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# Integrating Cloudera in watsonx.data
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You can integrate Cloudera with IBM® watsonx.data to enable zero-copy querying of remote data. Cloudera provides an enterprise data platform that enables organizations to manage, process, and analyze data across hybrid and multi-cloud environments.

By integrating Cloudera with watsonx.data, you can query Hive tables stored in Cloudera HDFS without copying data, enabling seamless data federation across your data landscape.

## How it works
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1. Create Hive tables in Cloudera using the Hue editor.
2. Configure HDFS storage component in watsonx.data.
3. Associate the catalog with your Presto engine.
4. Query the remote tables using watsonx.data Presto engine without copying data.

## Architecture overview
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The integration works through the following components:

1. **Cloudera HDFS** - Distributed file system storing Hive table data
2. **Hive Metastore** - Centralized metadata repository for table definitions
3. **watsonx.data Presto engine** - Query engine that executes queries
4. **HDFS Storage Component** - Bridge between watsonx.data and Cloudera

## Supported table and storage formats
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- **Hive tables** - Query Hive tables stored in various formats (Parquet, ORC, Avro, Text)
- **Storage formats** - Parquet, ORC, Avro, Text files

## Key features
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- Zero-copy data access
- Support for both Kerberos and non-Kerberos authentication
- Query federation through watsonx.data
- Integration with watsonx.data Presto engine
- Direct access to Hive Metastore

## Important limitations
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- Only Presto engine is supported for querying Cloudera tables
- Tables are read-only from watsonx.data
- `UPDATE` and `DELETE` operations are not supported when querying Hive tables through watsonx.data
- Data modifications must be performed directly in Cloudera

## Security considerations
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**Authentication:**

- **Non-Kerberos:** Suitable for development and testing environments with basic HDFS user authentication
- **Kerberos:** Recommended for production environments with enterprise-grade security

**Data access:**

- All queries execute with the permissions of the authenticated user or principal
- HDFS enforces file-level security policies
- Storage credentials must have appropriate read permissions on HDFS locations

**Network security:**

- Ensure network connectivity between watsonx.data and Cloudera cluster
- Configure firewall rules to allow traffic on required ports (HDFS NameNode, Hive Metastore)
- For Kerberos, ensure connectivity to KDC (Key Distribution Center)

## Next steps
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- [Setting up Cloudera integration with Presto engine](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/watsonxdata?topic=watsonxdata-data_stream_cloudera_presto_setup&format=markdown)
- [Querying Cloudera tables using Presto engine](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/watsonxdata?topic=watsonxdata-data_stream_cloudera_presto_query&format=markdown)

## Related information
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- [Cloudera Data Platform documentation](https://docs.cloudera.com/)
- [Apache Hive documentation](https://hive.apache.org/)
- [Apache HDFS documentation](https://hadoop.apache.org/docs/stable/hadoop-project-dist/hadoop-hdfs/HdfsUserGuide.html)