This chapter addresses the concept of big data, its sources, and its types. In addition to this, the chapter focuses on giving a theoretical foundation about data modeling and data management. Readers will be getting their hands dirty with setting up a platform where we can utilize big data. The major topics discussed in this chapter are summarized as follows:

• Discover the concept of big data and its origins
• Learn about the various characteristics of big data
• Discuss and explore various challenges in big data mining
• Get familiar with big data modeling and its uses
• Understand what big data management is and its importance and implications
• Set up a big data platform on a local machine