Symantec announced today that it has created an add-on for its Cluster File System that leverages the power of Apache Hadoop to analyze big data for enterprise customers. Symantec has called in Hortonworks to develop Symantec Enterprise Solution for Hadoop, which is designed to make it easier to deploy Hadoop in an enterprise environment.

According to Symantec, this partnership makes Apache Hadoop “enterprise ready” and makes it easier for companies to handle big data workloads. Some of the features include scaling up to 16 petabytes of data (structured and unstructured), safeguards against over-provisioning, location-specific data analytics, and performance enhancements to increase Hadoop availability.

Symantec is not the first kid on the block to offer Hadoop management tools. Other vendors include MapR, Amazon, IBM, Cloudera, Datameer, EMC, Hadapt, and of course Hortonworks, which is the company partnering with Symantec to deliver Enterprise Solution for Hadoop. The competition is steep, but the market is growing fast, and that makes it ripe for the picking. It is also a way for Symantec to extend a useful add-on to current Cluster File System customers.

Although it is probably best known for its consumer security software and services, Symantec pulls in approximately two thirds of its revenue from enterprise software sales. Symantec inherited its Cluster File System in its merger with Veritas in 2005. The file system is designed to allow multiple servers to share the same storage space, improving data access and reducing application failure. The file system is available for HP-UX, IBM AIX, Linux, and Solaris.