---
name: watsonxdata-hdfs_storage
title: Hadoop Distributed File System
description: Hadoop Distributed File System (HDFS) is a file system that manages large data sets that can run on commodity hardware.
last-updated: 2026-05-13
---

> ## Documentation Index
> The table of contents for this documentation set is at https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/watsonxdata?format=markdown
> The index for all IBM Cloud docs is at: https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use these files to discover more information as needed.

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# Hadoop Distributed File System
{: #hdfs_storage}

Hadoop Distributed File System (HDFS) is a file system that manages large data sets that can run on commodity hardware.
{: shortdesc}

 If you select **Hadoop Distributed File System (HDFS)** from the **Storage** section, configure the following details:

 | Field | Description |
 |--------------------------|----------------|
 | Display name | Enter the name to be displayed.|
 | Thrift URI | Enter the Thrift URI.|
 |Thrift Port | Enter the Thrift port. |
 | Kerberos authentication | Use the toggle switch to enable or disable **Kerberos authentication**. If enabled, enter the following information:  \n a. Enter the following information: \n i. HDFS principal \n ii. Hive client principal \n iii. Hive server principal \n b. Upload the following files: \n i. Core site file (.xml) \n ii. HDFS site (.xml) \n iii. Kerberos config file (.config) \n iiii. HDFS keytab file (.keytab) \n iiiii. Hive keytab file (.keytab) |
 | Upload core site file (.xml) | Upload core site file (.xml) |
 | Upload HDFS site file (.xml) | Upload HDFS site file (.xml) |
 | Connection status	| Click the Test connection link to test the storage connection. If the storage connection is successful, a success message appears. |
 | Associate catalog | Add a catalog for your storage. This catalog is associated with your storage and serves as your query interface with the data stored within. |
 | Catalog type | The supported catalog is Apache Hive.|
 | Catalog name | Enter the name of your catalog. |
 | Associate | Click Associate to create the storage. |
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If you encounter any errors, refer [Troubleshooting HDFS catalog errors](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/watsonxdata?topic=watsonxdata-troubleshooting-hdfs-catalog-issues&format=markdown).
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## Related API
{: #hdfs_api}

For information on related API, see
* [Add/Create HDFS storage](https://cloud.ibm.com/apidocs/watsonxdata#create-hdfs-storage)