If you are a first-time MaxCompute user, we recommend that you begin by reading the following sections:

• MaxCompute Summary — This chapter introduces a general introduction of MaxCompute including its main function modules. By reading this chapter, you can have a general understanding of MaxCompute.

• Quick Start — This chapter adopts detailed instances step by step to guide you how to apply for an account, how to install the client, how to create a table, how to authorize for a user, how to export/import data, how to run SQL tasks, how to run UDF, and how to run Mapreduce programs, etc.

• Basic Introduction — This chapter mainly introduces some essential terms and common used commands of MaxCompute. You can be further familiar with how to operate the MaxCompute.

• Tools — Before analyzing the data, you may need to master the method to dowmload, configure, and use tools. We provide the following tool:

  • MaxCompute Client: You can operate the MaxCompute through this tool.

After you are familar with those modules that mentioned preceding, you are recommended to perform a further study on other modules.

For data analysts?

If you are a data analyst, you must read the following modules:

• MaxCompute SQL: You can query and analyze massive data that stored on MaxCompute. The main function includes:

  • It supports DDL. You can manage tables and partitions through Create, Drop, and Alter syntaxes.

  • You can select a few records from a table through Select clause. You can query records which meet the conditions in Where clause.

  • You can achieve the association of the two tables by the equivalent connection of Join.

  • You can achieve the aggregation operation through Group By clause.

  • You can insert the result records into another table through Insert overwrite/into syntax.

  • You can achieve a series of calculations by using built-in functions and user-defined functions (UDF).

For Developers?

If you are an experienced developer and understand the concept of distributed system and some data analyzing cannot be achieved by SQL, we recommend that you learn more advanced modules of MaxCompute:

• MapReduce: MaxCompute provides MapReduce programming interface. You can use the Java API, which is provided by MapReduce, to write MapReduce program for processing data in MaxCompute.

• Graph: A set of framework for iterative graph computing. Use the graph for modeling, which is composed of Vertex and Edge. Vertex and Edge include weight value (Value). Edit and evolute the graph through the iteration and get the final result.

• Eclipse Plugin: Facilitate users to use Java SDK of MapReduce, UDF, and Graph.

• Tunnel: You can use the Tunnel service to upload batch offline data to MaxCompute or download batch offline data from MaxCompute.

• DataHub Service: You can use the DataHub service to publish and subscribe real time data.

• SDK: A toolkit is available to developers.

For project owners or project administrators?

If you are a project owner or administrator, you must read:

• Security: Through reading this chapter, you can understand how to grant privileges to a user, how to share resource span projects, how to set project protection, and how to grant privilege by policy, etc.