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Traditionally adding new data into Hive requires gathering a large amount of data onto HDFS and then periodically adding a new partition. This is essentially a “batch insertion”. Insertion of new data into an existing partition is not permitted. 

Hive Streaming API allows data to be pumped continuously into Hive. The incoming data can be continuously committed in small batches of records into an existing Hive partition or table. Once data is committed it becomes immediately visible to all Hive queries initiated subsequently.

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