Steven Matison

Helping enterprises master real-time data orchestration and Cloudera Data Platform (CDP) through scalable, production-grade solutions.

**Senior Solutions Engineer at Cloudera Architecting the Future of Data in Motion & Enterprise AI**

Hello! I’m Steven Matison. In the rapidly evolving landscape of data and AI, my mission is to help organizations bridge the gap between complex raw data and actionable intelligence. As a Senior Solutions Engineer at Cloudera, I specialize in building robust, scalable, and hybrid-cloud architectures that empower the modern enterprise.

Today’s market isn’t just about storing data; it’s about Data in Motion and Trusted AI. My current work focuses on operationalizing data flows using cloud-native technologies, ensuring that data is governed, secure, and ready for the next generation of AI-driven applications. From deploying NiFi on Kubernetes to leveraging Apache Iceberg for open table formats, I help teams move away from “legacy Hadoop” thinking and into the world of Cloudera Data Platform (CDP).

What I’m Working On Now

  • Operationalizing DataFlow: Transforming traditional Apache NiFi clusters into cloud-native, auto-scaling deployments using Cloudera DataFlow (CDF) for Public Cloud and Kubernetes.
  • Stream Processing & Messaging: Architecting real-time streaming pipelines with Cloudera Streaming Analytics (Apache Flink) and Cloudera Streams Messaging (Apache Kafka).
  • AI-Ready Architectures: Implementing Cloudera AI (formerly CML) to serve production-grade models and utilizing Cloudera AI Inference services to fuel RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) and Agentic workflows.
  • The Open Data Lakehouse: Advocating for Apache Iceberg as the foundation for multi-function analytics, ensuring data portability and performance across the hybrid cloud.

Core Expertise & Keywords

The Cloudera Ecosystem

  • CDP (Cloudera Data Platform): Public Cloud, Private Cloud, and Hybrid-Cloud Base.
  • Data in Motion: Cloudera DataFlow (CDF), NiFi, MiNiFi, and Registry.
  • Streaming & Messaging: Apache Kafka, Apache Flink, SQL Stream Builder, and Streams Messaging Manager (SMM).
  • Data Warehouse & Lakehouse: Apache Iceberg, Apache Impala, Apache Hive, and SDX (Shared Data Experience).
  • Machine Learning & AI: Cloudera AI, Applied ML Prototypes (AMPs), and AI Code Assistants.

Modern Infrastructure & Tools

  • Cloud Native: Kubernetes (K8s) Operators, Docker, AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP).
  • Data Engineering: Python, Java, SQL, and Shell Scripting (macOS/Linux).
  • Observability & Governance: Apache Ranger, Apache Atlas, and Cloudera Observability.

Community & Thought Leadership I am an active contributor to the Cloudera Community, where I share technical guidance with the community. I believe that the best way to master a technology is to teach it, and I’m constantly documenting my journey through my blog and community articles.

Whether you’re looking to modernize your data ingestion, migrate to a hybrid-cloud lakehouse, or scale your AI initiatives, I’m here to help you navigate the journey.

Let’s Connect

Technologies & Key Terms:

  • Unix, Linux, Windows, Cloud (Amazon, Azure, Google, Digital Ocean, IBM, Private, Government Cloud), Virtualized, Serverless and Container Platforms and Microservices
  • Java, JavaScript, jQuery, PHP, Perl, CGI, XML, JSON, Bash, Crontab, Selenium, Docker, Ruby, Rails, GitHub, Nodejs, React, Python, Maven
  • Open Source, Apache Software Foundation, Hortonworks, Cloudera, Hadoop HDP, HDF, HDFS, CDP, CDH, CDF, CDE, CML, Ambari, NiFi, NiFi Registry, MiNiFi, Hive, HBase, Zeppelin, Kafka, Kudu, Ranger, Oozie, Sqoop, Schema Registry, Hue, Flink, Knox, Metron, Parquet, Maven, Apache, Ozone, Iceberg, Flink
  • Open Source Cassandra, Datastax Enterprise, Astra, NoSqlBench, Stargate, Ansible, Kubernetes, K8ssandra, K8s, K3ds, Graph, GraphQL
  • SQL Server, MySQL, Mariadb, MongoDb, Oracle, NoSql, Cql, Postgres, Neo4j, Orientdb, ArangoDb
  • ElasticSearch, Kibana, Logstash, Filebeat, Metricbeat, WinLogbeat, Packetbeat
  • Security, Cyber Security, PCI Compliance, SSL, SSL Certificates, Active Directory, LDAP, Kerberos, Data Governance
  • API, BPM, EAI, ETL, ERP, EHR, EMR, HIT, CMS, CRM, e-Commerce, POS, SOA, SaaS, Sas, Iaas, Laas, Paas, DBaaS