In this research work we focused on performance modelling and prediction of Hadoop Map-Reduce systems, the most popular framework for large-scale data processing. We developed the capability to evaluate application performance in hypothetical MapReduce systems using simulation. Compared to the traditional build- and-measure approach, our simulation-based evaluation is faster and cheaper and offers flexibility. Although real experiments must be conducted before total commitment, simulation-based evaluation can work as a intermediate step to reveal obvious flaws and help system designers further understand performance characteristics of their applications and the MapReduce system.