Version
To check which version of HBase you are using, you can use the command
hbase version
.
This will output the version of HBase you are running.
About HBase
HBase is a NoSQL non-relational database management system. HBase is almost entirely written in Java,
which improves the availability across operating systems. HBase is very useful for a lot of developers,
as it runs on top of the Hadoop stack. HBase is NoSQL, but the stack in which it is included also has a way to
integrate
Relational Database Management System (RDBMS) capabilities into HBase, in a way that then works like HBase supports
both non-relational
and relational data. HBase has very specific specializations in its functionality, making it the tool of choice for
people working across
different industries, especially the ones that take full advantage of big data capabilities.
HBase has applications in many industries, but it has seen good applications in bioengineering, where the amount of
data points that
a single experiment can generate is enormous and collected in very short frequencies. HBase works very well as a way
to collect
and extract sparse data, this means that it can find small numbers of very special outliers in a collection of tens
of millions of data points,
which is great for scientific observations. Outside of this, HBase is very applicable in business analytics and data
gathering,
specifically when there are applications developed in the Hadoop framework involved, as HBase forms part of the same
stack.
There are specific functionalities and characteristics of HBase that may be of great interest to the reader.
First, the Java API makes it extremely useful for people that are familiarized with the language to get started with
HBase,
which is a great addition, since Java is an extremely popular language and API base. HBase has one of the most
advanced lookup techniques,
leading it to be one of the best options for when the user is looking to extract outliers from big databases, as it
was explained above.
It supports both row-oriented and column-oriented databases. This adds more flexibility as to the way the data is to
be stored
and thought of by the analyst.
Releases
HBase's first version was 1.2.0, released to the public in 2016. This relatively new piece of database management
software is currently beloved by many,
and as such, it is constantly updated for newer features and bugfixes. We are currently on the 3.0.0 release, available since 5th August 2026 as the first GA of the 3.x line, while the 2.x line continues with 2.6.6 and the "stable" 2.5.15, both from 9th June 2026. The next release, 3.1.0, is in development with no announced date.