Explain the types of tables in #Hive

In Apache Hive, there are two types of tables: managed tables and external tables.

Managed tables, also known as internal tables, are tables where Hive manages both the metadata and the data itself. When you create a managed table in Hive, it creates a directory in the default Hive warehouse location and stores the data in that directory. If you drop the table, Hive will delete the table metadata as well as the data directory. Managed tables are typically used for long-term data storage and are ideal for scenarios where you want Hive to control the data completely.

External tables, on the other hand, are tables where Hive only manages the metadata and the data is stored outside of the Hive warehouse directory. When you create an external table in Hive, you specify the location of the data directory where the data is stored. If you drop the external table, Hive only deletes the metadata and leaves the data directory intact. External tables are useful when you need to share data across multiple systems, or when the data is stored outside of the Hive warehouse directory.

In summary, the main difference between managed and external tables in Hive is where the data is stored and who controls it. With managed tables, Hive controls both the metadata and the data, while with external tables, Hive only controls the metadata, and the data is stored outside of the Hive warehouse directory.