Abstract: Various embodiments execute MapReduce jobs. In one embodiment, at least one MapReduce job is received from one or more user programs. At least one input file associated with the MapReduce job is divided into a plurality of data blocks each including a plurality of key-value pairs. A first unique name is associated with each of the data blocks. Each of a plurality of mapper nodes generates an intermediate dataset for at least one of the plurality of data blocks. A second unique name is associated with the intermediate dataset generated by each of the plurality of mapper nodes. The second unique name is based on at least one of the first unique name, a set of mapping operations performed on the at least one of the plurality of data blocks, and a number associated with a reducer node in a set of reducer nodes assigned to the intermediate dataset.