See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.

net/publication/352413480

Big Data Applications and Tools

Chapter · August 2020

CITATIONS READS

0 4,874

1 author:

Mahmoud Al-Khasawneh
Skyline University College
56 PUBLICATIONS 733 CITATIONS

SEE PROFILE

All content following this page was uploaded by Mahmoud Al-Khasawneh on 04 July 2021.

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

Author
Mahmoud Ahmad Al-Khasawneh
Faculty of Computer & Information Technology, Al-Madinah
International University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Page | 1
Page | 2
 Chapter - 1
Big Data Applications and Tools
Mahmoud Ahmad Al-Khasawneh

Abstract
Big data has grown into a very broad process. It refers to the huge amount
of structured, semi-structured and unstructured data that is produced
exponentially in many areas by high-performance applications, recently many
applications of big data used, such as in Education, Healthcare and many of
our daily life aspects. In this chapter the applications and tools of big data will
be covered in depth.
Keywords: big data, application of big data, big data tools
1. Introduction
Gartner described Big Data as large volume information assets with fast
velocity and different variety which require innovative platform in order to
improve insights and decision making. Meanwhile, in describing the notion of
revolution, the authors described it as a method of solving all the long
unsolved problems associated with data management and handling. Big data
analytics allows the hidden patterns to be unlocked and customers would be
understood more comprehensively in terms of their opinions and needs. Big
Data is thus considered as a revolution.
The generation of big data involves very large quantities (multi-terabyte).
Big data change fast and take many forms. Hence, RDBMS or other traditional
technologies do not have the capacity to manage and process them.
Accordingly, through their tools, methods, and technologies, Big Data
solutions allow the fast capturing, storing, searching and analysis of data. This
in turn allows the discovery of the links and insights for innovation and
competitive gain, and such capacities were not possible in the past.
Data today, aside from being extremely vast in amount as opposed to the
amount available in the past, are mostly unstructured (about 80% of them),
and evidently, the traditional technologies cannot handle such data.
Furthermore, data are continuously archived just as they are analyzed.
Somehow, considering their colossal amount-data generation today is in

Page | 3
petabytes-it is rather impossible to archive and retrieve them repeatedly.
Meanwhile, data scientists frequently have to use current data for various
purposes including for predictive analysis unlike historical as used to be done
with traditional [1-10].
2. Big data applications
The applications of Big Data can be observed in various domains, as
follows:
1. Big data in retail
Competitions in the retail industry is very fierce and retailers are
continuously striving to achieve a competitive edge over others, and in order
to thrive, it is important that retailers understand their customers really well.
Having the awareness of the needs of the customers and how to optimally
satisfy them will give the company a competitive edge. Also, by performing
advanced analysis on their customer’s data, retailers could fully understand
their customers. The data of customers can be obtained via many resources
including social media, loyalty programs and so forth. For retailers, all details
of the customers are of value and having understanding of all of these minute
details brings the retailers to their customers as close as possible.
Consequently, the retailers could provide their customers with more
personalized services and also forecast their future demands. Loyal customer
can thus be established. Costco, Walmart, Walgreens, and Sears and Holdings
are among the retailers that heavily utilize Big Data. Relevantly, the National
Retail Federation estimated that about 30% of retail annual sales come from
sales made in November and December [11].
2. Big data in healthcare
Big Data greatly facilitates the healthcare industry as this industry
consistently has to deal with very large amount of data. Such amount of data
has made it rather impossible for the healthcare practitioners to harness them.
The use of Big Data can be regarded as lifesaving as it facilitates the
practitioners and researchers in this industry to detect and cure diseases such
as cancer. Also through Big Data and analytics, more personalized
medications can be established, and more effective treatments can be provided
to the patients. Furthermore, unique patterns of certain medicines can be
identified, allowing the development of more cost-effective solutions. Also,
smart wearables are becoming popular among all people, as these devices can
help save lives through producing real-time alerts [12].

Page | 4
3. Big data in education
Within the realm of education, data are generally important for future
references. Hence, data are highly important in this domain. The use of Big
Data greatly enhances the system of education, by specifically revitalizing the
skills, both academic and non-academic ones. Also, the use of Big Data
facilitates the evaluation of performances of students and teachers. Big Data
has also been used in academic curriculum reformation in some leading
universities. Equally, Big Data can be used in tracking the rate of dropout and
then in determining the most appropriate measures to reduce it [13].
4. Big data in e-commerce
E-commerce has been regarded as a remarkable revolution in this era and
it has become an integral part of life of people today. Hence, it is common for
people to be thinking about E-commerce when they want to purchase
something. In this regard, Amazon, Flipkart and Alibaba are among the most
notable global E-commerce companies and the use of Big Data in these
companies is extensive. Relevantly, Amazon as the world’s biggest E-
commerce company is one of the leaders in Big Data and analytics.
Meanwhile, Flipkart which is an Indian-based company, has one of the most
vigorous data platforms in the country [14].
Within the domain of Big Data, the recommendation engine of Big Data
is by far the most extraordinary applications of Big Data as it provides a 360-
degree view of customers to the companies. This allows the companies to
make appropriate recommendations to the customers, making the services
more personalized. Indeed, the experiences of online shipping of people are
completely redefined through Big Data.
5. Big data in media and entertainment
Media and Entertainment industry generally involves art and the use of
Big Data is regarded as part of this art. Even though discrete from one another,
the combination of art and science can generate remarkable outcomes
especially in this industry. The general aim of this industry is to please
customers and thus, it is crucial that this industry is able to consistently present
new content to customers in order to retain them. In this regard, it is vital to
have recommendation engine.
Meanwhile, viewers today are inclined to choose the contents that they
want, and generally, viewers prefer fairly new contents. Prior to the emergence
of Big Data, companies would randomly broadcast their advertisement
without performing any analysis first, and now with Big Data analytics,

Page | 5
companies could determine the type of Ads to broadcast (i.e., those that would
attract customers) and the best broadcast time to achieve the maximum
attention [15].
6. Big data in finance
Financial organizations greatly rely on data in their operations, and in
fact, for such organizations, data are their second most vital commodity after
money. Owing to such importance, financial organizations need to assure
safety of their data which is a challenging task. Financial firms were in fact
among the first adopters of Big Data and Analytics, and prior to that, these
firms were already mastering the technical field. Relevantly, Digital banking
and payments have been among the most trending buzzwords with Big Data
as their important element. In financial firms, Big Data handles the major
domains including algorithmic trading, fraud detection, risk analysis, and
customer contentment. With Big Data, the financial system becomes fluent,
improved, and empowered in making available superior services to the
customers [16].
7. Big data in travel industry
Within the context of travel industry, the spread of Big Data has been
rather slow as opposed to other industries. Relevantly, stress-free traveling
experience is desired, and the use Big Data can assist in assuring such. In this
regard, travelling companies can utilize Big Data analytics to offer their
customers with more personalized traveling experience. Equally, the
companies can use Big Data Analytics to better understand their customer’s
requirements, while providing them with the best offers and suggestions in
real-time. Big Data can become an excellent guide for any traveler, making it
an increasingly vital part in this industry [17].
8. Big data in telecom
The telecom industry has been the main driver to the global digital
revolution. Meanwhile, the increasing use of smartphones all over the world
has caused the telecom industry to be flooded with data of colossal amounts.
For telecom companies, such data are highly precious, and thus, it is crucial
that the companies know how to appropriately exploit these data. The use of
Big Data Analytics allows these telecom companies to offer customers with
smooth connectivity, and this eases customers as the network barriers are
eradicated. Big Data Analytics also allows the companies to track both the
highest and lowest traffic areas and then decide the best actions in order to
provide customers with smooth network connectivity. With proper
understanding of the customers through the use of Big Data, Telecom
industries can provide customers with customized services [18].

Page | 6
9. Big data in automobile industry
The industry of automobile is now fully and smoothly controlled by Big
Data, resulting in some extraordinary and novel outcomes. It can thus be said
that Big Data is now a vital part in automobile industry as it has led to the
achievement of the unimaginable. With Big Data, the industry could analyze
trends, understand the supply chain management, provide care to the
customers, make the impossible possible, and so forth [19].
3. Big data tools
Big Data Analytics is now integral in nearly all organizations, and in order
to achieve notable outcomes, a set of tools is required at every phase of data
processing and analysis. In determining the tools to be employed, several
factors to be taken into account. Among these factors include the size of the
datasets, pricing of the tool, the type of analysis to be executed, and so forth.
As Big Data is growing exponentially, the market has been overwhelmed by
its plethora of tools that are of value in assisting big data in increasing cost
efficiency, which translates into faster analysis.
1. Apache hadoop
Apache Hadoop is a very popular tool in Big Data industry and this tool
stores process and analyzes Big Data. Hadoop, which is written in Java, is an
open-source framework from Apache and it operates on commodity hardware.
The use of Apache Hadoop allows data to be processed in parallel manner
because Apache Hadoop can concurrently run on multiple machines. Apache
Hadoop utilizes clustered architecture, whereby a Cluster encompasses a
group of systems connected through LAN.
There are three parts of Hadoop as follows:
 Hadoop Distributed File System (HDFS) which encompasses
Hadoop’s storage layer
 Map-Reduce which encompasses Hadoop’s layer of data processing
 YARN which encompasses Hadoop’s layer of resource management
Among the shortcomings of Hadoop usage include non-support to real-
time processing as Hadoop only supports batch processing and inability of
performing in-memory calculations [20].
2. Apache spark
Apache Spark which encompasses a general-purpose clustering system
can be regarded as the replacement of Hadoop. Apache Spark resolves the
issues related to Hadoop as it supports real-time and batch processing, while

Page | 7
also supporting in-memory calculations. Further, it has much smaller amount
of read/write operations into the disk, making it much faster than Hadoop,
specifically 100 times faster. Also, as opposed to Hadoop, Apache Spark runs
on different data stores such as HDFS, Apache Cassandra and OpenStack,
making it more flexible and versatile than Hadoop.
Apache Spark provides APIs of high-level in Python, Java, Scala and R,
while also providing a weighty set of high-level tools. Among these tools are:
Spark Streaming, Spark SQL for structured data processing, GraphX for graph
dataset processing, and MLlib for machine learning. For efficient execution of
query, Apache Spark has 80 operators of high-level [21].
3. Apache storm
Apache Storm is an open-source tool of big data and it entails a distributed
real-time and fault-tolerant processing system, with the ability to process
unbounded streams of data efficiently. In this context, unbounded streams
relate to consistently expanding data that have a beginning but no defined end.
Apache Storm is usable in any language of programming and it also supports
JSON based protocols. Storm assures processing of all data and has very fast
processing as high as a million tuples processed per second on each node.
Storm is also fault tolerant and easily scalable, making this tool much simpler
in terms of usage [22].
4. Apache Cassandra
Apache Cassandra is a distributed database and it offers high availability
and scalability while the performance remains efficient. Apache Cassandra is
considered as a big data tool (one of the best) with the ability to accommodate
datasets of all types namely structured, semi-structured, and unstructured. This
tool is considered as the most appropriate platform for mission-critical data
with no failure point. Also, it tolerates faults in both commodity hardware and
cloud infrastructure. Cassandra can efficiently operate under heavy loads, and
since it does not follow master-slave architecture, the nodes all play the same
role. Apache Cassandra supports the ACID (Atomicity, Consistency,
Isolation, and Durability) properties [23].
5. MongoDB
As an open-source data analytics tool, MongoDB encompasses a NoSQL
database that offers cross-platform capacities. Such capacities could cater to
businesses that need fast-moving and real-time data in decision making. This
tool is useful to those seeking data-driven solutions. MongoDB which is
written in JavaScript, and C, C++, is reliable and cost-effective. Also, owing

Page | 8
to its easy installation and maintenance, MongoDB is user-friendly.
MongoDB expedites the management of unstructured data or the frequently
changing data, making it a very popular Big Data database. As MongoDB
utilizes dynamic schemas, user can quickly prepare the data, and this can
decrease the overall cost. MongoDB runs on MEAN software stack, NET
applications and, Java platform, and within the cloud infrastructure,
MongoDB is flexible. However, for certain cases of usage, some breakdown
in the speed of processing has been recognized [24].
6. Apache Flink
Apache Flink which is written in Java and Scala entails an Open-source
data analytics tool distributed processing framework for data streams,
bounded and unbounded. Even for late-arriving data, Apache Flink provides
highly accurate results. Apache Flink can easily recover from faults and
therefore it is fault tolerant. At a large scale, Flink offers high-performance
efficiency on thousands of nodes. Other advantages of Apache Flink include
low-latency, high throughput streaming engine and supports on event time and
state management [25].
7. Kafka
Introduced by LinkedIn in 2011, Apache Kafka entails a distributed event
processing or streaming open-source platform providing high throughput to
the systems. This tool has the capacity to handle trillions of events on a daily
basis, aside from being fault tolerant. As a streaming platform, Apache is very
scalable, and among the processes of streaming are publishing and subscribing
to streams of records that are akin to the messaging systems. These records
are permanently stored in groups called topics and then processed. Apache
Kafka offers high-speed streaming with no downtime [26].
8. Tableau
Tableau is regarded as among the best tools of data visualization and
software solution within the industry of Business Intelligence. Tableau turns
raw data into important insights while also improving the decision-making
process of the businesses. The process of data analysis provided by Tableau is
fast, resulting in visualizations in the form of interactive dashboards and
worksheets. Also, Tableau allows the best data blending in the market, and
also an efficient real-time analysis. As a vital part in certain industries,
Tableau is bound to the industry of technology as well. Furthermore, running
Tableau does not require technical or programming skills [27].

Page | 9
9. Rapid miner
Rapid miner which is an open-source tool written in java, is a cross-
platform tool. It offers a strong environment for Machine Learning, Data
Science and Data Analytics procedures. RapidMiner is a unified platform for
the full Data Science lifecycle, and it begins from data prep to machine
learning to the employment of predictive model. Many licenses are provided
by RapidMiner for small, medium, and large proprietary editions. A free
edition is also provided by RapidMiner, and this edition allows only 1 logical
processor and up to 10,000 data rows. When combined with APIs and cloud
services, Rapid Miner is very efficient. This tool offers some robust Data
Science tools and algorithms [28].
10. R Programming
As an open-source programming language, R is among the most inclusive
languages of statistical analysis. R, which is written in C and Fortran,
encompasses a multi-paradigm language of programming offering a dynamic
environment of development, and being an open-source project has allowed
countless of individuals to partake in its development. A massive package
ecosystem is offered by R, making it among the most popular tools of
statistical analysis. R aids the efficient performance of various statistical
operations while also easing the production of data analysis results both in text
and graphic format. R offers remarkable graphics and charting [29].
2. Advantages of using big data in business
The use of Big Data in the competitive business world today is highly
beneficial, as Big Data provide the current market with endless services.
Accordingly, proper utilization of Big Data can lead to remarkable results.
Hence, owing to various reasons, nearly all companies today are shifting
towards Big Data Analytics. As noted, the use of Big Data has facilitated these
companies in improving their general growth. Accordingly, the advantages of
big data to businesses are as discussed below:
1. Better decision making
The application of Big Data Analytics has been found to greatly enhance
the process of decision making. Hence, companies have begun to consider
using Big Data Analytics in making decisions, as opposed to making decisions
anonymously. Big Data Analytics allows companies to consider various
factors associated with customers such as what customers want and what can
be done to resolve problems. Also, Big Data Analytics allows companies to
analyze the needs of customers in accordance with the market trends. All of
these factors help companies in improving their decision-making process.

Page | 10
 As indicated, the use of big data improves the process of decision making.
The use of Data Flair as part of big data is one such example. The details are
as follows:
2. Big data in greater innovations
Organizations need to innovate to achieve success, and for the purpose,
data are needed. In this regard, more data is better, and the use of Big Data
allows the organizations to accomplish what was once deemed impossible or
even unthinkable. Many firms make use of Big Data Analytics in creating new
products and services, and using Big Data, firms could analyze opinions of
various customers in regards to their products and how these customers
perceive these products.
The tools provide firms with useful information about the products, for
instance, the information on the strengths and weaknesses of the products.
Accordingly, firms will take into account such information during the
development of new products in order that the newly created products will
cater to the needs and wants of the customers. In essence, Big Data Analytics
allows companies to ‘think’ beyond the ordinary.
3. Big data in education sector
The sector of education can benefit from the use of Big Data as such usage
allows the management of student related data which is otherwise difficult to
execute using the traditional methods. In general, student data are of large size
and teacher often find it difficult to properly exploit them. Hence, Big Data
Analytics is valuable to the education sector as it has facilitated the much-
needed transformation in the system of this sector. Using Big Data Analytics,
teacher could analyze the capacities of students, and based on the outcomes,
teacher could help nurture the future of these students. The tools of Big Data
Analytics allow teachers to discover both the strengths and weaknesses of
students and appropriately guide them.
4. Big data in product price optimization
Companies can utilize Big Data for price optimization purposes. In this
regard, the goal is to establish prices that will maximize profits, and Big Data
can be used in determining the prices which generate the maximum profits
under many historic market circumstances. Big Data analytics allows
companies to establish prices based on the willingness of customers to pay
under different conditions. The primary purpose is to have customers feel that
they get good value for money, and such view can help the company to
continue growing. However, the company should appropriately improve their

Page | 11
product based on the trend to assure consistent satisfaction of customers and
Big Data can facilitate the company in doing so.
5. Big data in recommendation engines
Online platform users today are provided with recommendations
according to both their past and present choices on the numerous online
platforms. Being provided with choices of favored things will ease the life or
users. Also, such availability has transformed the way online platform is
viewed and such platform provides more comfort use to users.
Big Data recommendation engine is available in many platforms of online
shopping. The data of customers are analyzed and appropriate
recommendations are then made. In general, the recommendations relate to
what the customer did during the last visit and in the customer’s real-time
activities. Comparisons are made between the customers who searched or
purchased familiar items, and suggestions are then made based on these
comparisons. This eradicates the physical barriers between online platforms
and the customers, and changed the experience of online shopping.
6. Big data in life-saving application in healthcare industry
The Healthcare Industry has been greatly benefitting from the
introduction of Big Data Analytics, and in fact, Big Data Analytics can be
considered as a progressing Revolution. In fact, experts of Big Data at
QUANTZIG, which is a provider of Global Analytics Solutions, regard Big
Data and Advanced Analytics as the potential solution to the most challenging
hurdles of Healthcare.
The application of Big Data in healthcare facilitates practitioners in
making available to their patients the cutting-edge and quality healthcare
utilizing the patients’ electronic health records. Through the use of Big Data,
the entire operational efficiency of the healthcare companies is improved.
Also, the healthcare companies could make changes as required. Furthermore,
the use of Big Data Analytics allows the healthcare companies to detect the
unidentified connections and concealed patterns in a given disease such as
cancer, and then find a better cure.
Summary
Big Data applications worldwide denote its significance and its benefits
are enormous. This is evidenced by the proclivity of all industries worldwide
towards the application of Big Data Analytics. Big Data Analytics is
increasingly becoming an integral part in businesses of all types globally that
soon it cannot be ignored.

Page | 12
References
1. Rodríguez-Mazahua L, Rodríguez-Enríquez CA, Sánchez-Cervantes JL,
Cervantes J, García-Alcaraz JL, Alor-Hernández G. A general
perspective of Big Data: applications, tools, challenges and trends. The
Journal of Supercomputing. 2016; 72(8):3073-3113.
2. Ali Shah SA, Uddin I, Aziz F, Ahmad S, Al-Khasawneh MA, Sharaf M.
An enhanced deep neural network for predicting workplace absenteeism.
Complexity, 2020.
3. Khan FA, Abubakar A, Mahmoud M, Al-Khasawneh MA, Alarood AA.
Cotton crop cultivation oriented semantic framework based on IoT smart
farming application. International Journal of Engineering and Advanced
Technology. 2019; 8(3):480-484.
4. Al-Khasawneh MA, Shamsuddin SM, Hasan S, Bakar AA. Map Reduce
a comprehensive review. In International Conference on Smart
Computing and Electronic Enterprise (ICSCEE). IEEE, 2018, 1-6.
5. Uddin MI, Zada N, Aziz F, Saeed Y, Zeb A, Ali Shah SA et al. Prediction
of Future Terrorist Activities Using Deep Neural Networks. Complexity,
2020.
6. Al-Khasawneh MA, Shamsuddin SM, Hasan S, Bakar AA An improved
chaotic image encryption algorithm. In International Conference on
Smart Computing and Electronic Enterprise (ICSCEE). IEEE, 2018, 1-8.
7. Ullah Z, Zeb A, Ullah I, Awan KM, Saeed Y, Uddin MI et al.
Certificateless Proxy Reencryption Scheme (CPRES) Based on
Hyperelliptic Curve for Access Control in Content-Centric Network
(CCN). Mobile Information Systems, 2020.
8. Uddin MI, Shah SAA, Al-Khasawneh MA. A Novel Deep Convolutional
Neural Network Model to Monitor People following Guidelines to Avoid
COVID-19. Journal of Sensors, 2020.
9. Khan FA, Abubakar A, Mahmoud M, Al-Khasawneh MA, Alarood AA.
Rift: A High-Performance Consensus Algorithm for Consortium
Blockchain. International Journal of Recent Technology and Engineering
(IJRTE), 2019.
10. Khan FA, Abubakar A, Mahmoud M, Al-Khasawneh MA, Alarood AA.
BSCL: Blockchain-Oriented SDN Controlled Cloud Based Li-Fi
Communication Architecture for Smart City Network. International
Journal of Engineering & Technology, 2018.

Page | 13
11. Santoro G, Fiano F, Bertoldi B, Ciampi F. Big data for business
management in the retail industry. Management Decision, 2018.
12. Baro E, Degoul S, Beuscart R, Chazard E. Toward a literature-driven
definition of big data in healthcare. BioMed research international, 2015.
13. Williamson B. Big data in education: The digital future of learning, policy
and practice. Sage, 2017.
14. Akter S, Wamba SF. Big data analytics in E-commerce: a systematic
review and agenda for future research. Electronic Markets. 2016;
26(2):173-194.
15. Lippell H. Big Data in the Media and Entertainment Sectors. In New
Horizons for a Data-Driven Economy. Springer, Cham, 2016, 245-259.
16. Begenau J, Farboodi M, Veldkamp L. Big data in finance and the growth
of large firms. Journal of Monetary Economics. 2018; 97:71-87.
17. Davenport T. Big data at work: dispelling the myths, uncovering the
opportunities. Harvard Business Review Press, 2014.
18. Cheng X, Xu L, Zhang T, Jia Y, Yuan M, Chao K. A novel big data-based
telecom operation architecture. In 1st International Conference on Signal
and Information Processing, Networking and Computers, 2016, 385-396.
19. Martin KE. Ethical issues in the big data industry. MIS Quarterly
Executive. 2015; 14:2.
20. Murthy AC, Vavilapalli VK, Eadline D. Apache Hadoop YARN: moving
beyond MapReduce and batch processing with Apache Hadoop 2.
Pearson Education, 2014.
21. Spark A. Apache spark. Retrieved January, 17, 2018.
22. Evans R. Apache storm, a hands-on tutorial. In 2015 IEEE International
Conference on Cloud Engineering. IEEE, 2015, 2-2.
23. Cassandra A. Apache cassandra. Website, 2014. Available online at
http://planetcassandra. org/what-is-apache-cassandra, 13.
24. Banker K. MongoDB in action. Manning Publications Co, 2011.
25. Carbone P, Katsifodimos A, Ewen S, Markl V, Haridi S, Tzoumas K.
Apache Flink: Stream and batch processing in a single engine. Bulletin of
the IEEE Computer Society Technical Committee on Data Engineering,
2015, 36(4).
26. Garg N. Apache Kafka. Packt Publishing Ltd., 2013.

Page | 14
27. Nair L, Shetty S, Shetty S. Interactive visual analytics on Big Data:
Tableau vs D3. js. Journal of e-Learning and Knowledge Society, 2016,
12(4).
28. Hofmann M, Klinkenberg R. (Eds.). RapidMiner: Data mining use cases
and business analytics applications. CRC Press, 2016.
29. Jones O, Maillardet R, Robinson A. Introduction to scientific
programming and simulation using R. CRC Press, 2014.

Page | 15

View publication stats