An open-source software framework, Hadoop allows for the processing of big data sets across clusters on commodity hardware either on-premises or in the cloud. At roughly one-thirtieth the cost of traditional data storage and processing, Hadoop makes it realistic and cost effective to analyze all data instead of just a data sample. It's a malleable solution, and it's open-source architecture enables data scientists and developers to build on top of it to form customized connectors or integrations.