src/docs/user/intro.txt

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Introduction
------------

Sqoop is a tool designed to transfer data between Hadoop and
relational databases or mainframes. You can use Sqoop to import data from a
relational database management system (RDBMS) such as MySQL or Oracle or a
mainframe into the Hadoop Distributed File System (HDFS),
transform the data in Hadoop MapReduce, and then export the data back
into an RDBMS.

Sqoop automates most of this process, relying on the database to
describe the schema for the data to be imported. Sqoop uses MapReduce
to import and export the data, which provides parallel operation as
well as fault tolerance.

This document describes how to get started using Sqoop to move data
between databases and Hadoop or mainframe to Hadoop and provides reference
information for the operation of the Sqoop command-line tool suite. This
document is intended for:

- System and application programmers
- System administrators
- Database administrators
- Data analysts
- Data engineers