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Using the Apache Flume HBase Sink: How the Integration Works and How to Configure It

By Anonymous
The first Apache Flume HBase sink introduced a simple way to stream events directly into HBase tables. This modernized walkthrough explains how the sink works, what its limitations are, how Flume resolves HBase configuration files, and how to set up a minimal but functional Flume-to-HBase pipeline. Although this feature originated in early Flume versions, many legacy Hadoop deployments still rely on it today.

Overview

The HBase sink was added to the Flume trunk and provided direct write support from Flume channels into HBase tables. It relies on synchronous HBase client operations and requires that HBase table metadata already exists. The sink handles flushes, transactions and rollbacks, allowing Flume to treat HBase as a durable storage target.

Building Flume from Trunk

In early versions the HBase sink was only available in the trunk source. The following sequence checks out Flume and builds it using Maven: 

git clone git://git.apache.org/flume.git
cd flume
git checkout trunk
mvn package -DskipTests
cd flume-ng-dist/target

Inside the repository, the sink is located under: 

flume-ng-sinks/flume-ng-hbase-sink/src/main/java/org/apache/flume/sink/hbase/

Important Details

  • Flume uses the first hbase-site.xml it finds on the CLASSPATH. If multiple HBase versions coexist on a machine, pay attention to classpath ordering.
  • The target HBase table, column family and qualifier must already exist.
  • The sink initially supported only synchronous HBase operations; asynchronous support was planned under FLUME-1252.

Example Flume Configuration for HBase Sink

The following configuration shows a simple in-memory channel feeding an HBase sink: 

host1.sources = src1
host1.sinks = sink1
host1.channels = ch1

# Source definition (Seq source)
host1.sources.src1.type = seq
host1.sources.src1.port = 25001
host1.sources.src1.bind = localhost
host1.sources.src1.channels = ch1

# HBase sink
host1.sinks.sink1.type = org.apache.flume.sink.hbase.HBaseSink
host1.sinks.sink1.channel = ch1
host1.sinks.sink1.table = test3
host1.sinks.sink1.columnFamily = testing
host1.sinks.sink1.column = foo

# Serializer (converting event data into HBase-compatible format)
host1.sinks.sink1.serializer = org.apache.flume.sink.hbase.SimpleHbaseEventSerializer
host1.sinks.sink1.serializer.payloadColumn = pcol
host1.sinks.sink1.serializer.incrementColumn = icol

# Channel
host1.channels.ch1.type = memory

Why the Serializer Matters

HBase expects KeyValue or Cell structures. The Flume HBase sink uses serializers to convert Flume events into a format suitable for HBase storage. The SimpleHbaseEventSerializer is a basic serializer that writes event payloads into a configured column family and qualifier.

Operational Notes (Modern Context)

  • Flume-to-HBase pipelines still exist in legacy estates; treat them as migration candidates.
  • Ensure RegionServers are not overloaded—HBase writes are synchronous in this sink.
  • For modern ingestion, consider Kafka → HBase Connectors or NiFi PutHBase processors.
  • Classpath conflicts remain a common operational issue with the HBase sink.

References

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