Even though several big data processing and analytics systems have been introduced with various design architectures, we are still lacking a deeper understanding of the performance characteristics for the various design architectures in addition to lacking comprehensive benchmarks for the various Big Data platforms. There is a crucial need to conduct fundamental research with a more comprehensive performance evaluation for the various Big Data processing systems and architectures. We also lack the availability of validation tools, standard benchmarks, and system performance prediction methods that can help us have a deeper and more solid understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the various Big Data processing platforms. This special issue is dedicated to original results and achievements by active researchers, designers, and developers working on various issues and challenges related to big data research.