To help you navigate the large number of new data tools available, this guide describes 60 of the most recent innovations, from NoSQL databases and MapReduce approaches to machine learning and visualization tools. Descriptions are based on first-hand experience with these tools in a production environment.

This handy glossary also includes a chapter of key terms that help define many of these tool categories:

NoSQL Databases

—Document-oriented databases using a key/value interface rather than SQL

MapReduce

—Tools that support distributed computing on large datasets

Storage

—Technologies for storing data in a distributed way

Servers

—Ways to rent computing power on remote machines

Processing

—Tools for extracting valuable information from large datasets

Natural Language Processing

—Methods for extracting information from human-created text

Machine Learning

—Tools that automatically perform data analyses, based on results of a one-off analysis

Visualization

—Applications that present meaningful data graphically

Acquisition

—Techniques for cleaning up messy public data sources

Serialization

—Methods to convert data structure or object state into a storable format