Source URL: https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/20/aws_iceberg_support/
Source: The Register
Title: AWS declares it’s Iceberg all the way until customers say otherwise
Feedly Summary: Cloud giant explains its thinking behind support for Apache open table format
AWS bet on the Apache Iceberg open table format (OTF) across its analytics, machine learning, and storage stack as a concerted response to demand from customers already using its popular S3 object storage.…
AI Summary and Description: Yes
**Summary:** The article outlines AWS’s strategic decision to adopt the Apache Iceberg open table format for its analytics, machine learning, and storage stack, significantly impacting the cloud computing landscape. This decision indicates a shift in industry standards for data formats, pushing for enhanced integration across various analytics and machine learning tools while fostering a collaborative ecosystem.
**Detailed Description:**
– **Adoption of Apache Iceberg:** AWS has decided to support the Apache Iceberg open table format (OTF), responding to customer demands for improved functionality with its S3 object storage.
– **Market Context:**
– S3 holds approximately 23% of the global enterprise data storage market.
– AWS stands as the leading cloud provider with an expected $105 billion in revenue.
– **Competitive Landscape:**
– The shift raises questions about the future of Delta Lake (Databricks), which is popular among companies like Microsoft and SAP.
– Databricks recently acquired Tabular for a substantial amount, signaling its own investment in the future of open table formats.
– **Features of Iceberg:**
– It allows database-like representation of data within S3, solving past performance issues encountered by users.
– Iceberg enhances data mutability and allows for efficient query performance across large-scale analytical workloads.
– AWS introduced S3 Tables, enabling managed Iceberg tables for users to implement access control and security policies per table.
– **Integration and Flexibility:**
– S3 Tables and SageMaker will incorporate Iceberg, providing compatibility with various analytics and ML tools.
– This flexibility enhances AWS’s offerings, allowing data warehousing projects to seamlessly integrate with Iceberg OTF.
– **Community Support and Collaboration:**
– Large data players like Google, Snowflake, and Cloudera have voiced support for Iceberg.
– AWS’s active role in developing Iceberg and its APIs positions it strongly to meet the needs of analytics customers seeking versatility.
– **Future Outlook:**
– AWS aims to drive Iceberg’s adoption while watching rivals like Microsoft and Databricks, indicating ongoing developments in the open source data format landscape.
This initiative illustrates AWS’s commitment to evolving its offerings based on customer needs, enhancing flexibility and data accessibility while navigating an evolving ecosystem of cloud computing technologies. The implications of adopting Apache Iceberg are vast, promising improved collaboration and performance within the cloud analytics domain.