Since Spark 1.x, SparkContext is an entry point to Spark and is defined in org.apache.spark package. It is used to programmatically create Spark RDD , accumulators , and broadcast variables on the cluster. Its object sc is default variable available in spark-shell and it can be programmatically created using SparkContext class.

What does SparkContext do?

SparkContext is entry point to spark application since spark 1.x. The SparkContext is the central entry point and controller for Spark applications. It manages resources, coordinates tasks, and provides the necessary infrastructure for distributed data processing in Spark. It plays a vital role in ensuring the efficient and fault-tolerant execution of Spark jobs.

How to create SparkContext?

SparkContext is created using SparkContext class. By default, A spark "driver" is an application that creates the SparkContext in order to execute the job or jobs of a cluster. You can access the spark context from spark spark session object spark.sparkContext. If you wanted to create spark context by yourself, use the below snippet. // Create SpakContext import org.apache.spark.{SparkConf, SparkContext} val sparkConf = new SparkConf().setAppName("sparkbyexamples.com").setMaster("local[1]") val sparkContext = new SparkContext(sparkConf)

How to stop SparkContext?

Once you have finished using Spark, you can stop the SparkContext using the stop() method. This will release all resources associated with the SparkContext and shut down the Spark application gracefully.

Can I have multiple SparkContext in Spark job?

There can only be one active SparkContext per JVM. Having multiple SparkContext instances in a single application can cause issues like resource conflicts, configuration conflicts, and unexpected behavior.

How to access SparkContex variable?

By default, A spark "driver" is an application that creates the SparkContext in order to execute the job or jobs of a cluster. You can access the spark context from spark spark session object spark.sparkContext.

What is SparkContext? Explained

| *** Please Subscribe for Ad Free & Premium Content ***

Post author:Naveen Nelamali
Post category:Apache Spark / Member
Post last modified:April 24, 2024
Reading time:19 mins read

You are currently viewing What is SparkContext? Explained

Access to this content is reserved for our valued members. Please log in to your account to unlock this exclusive material.

Tags: SQLContext