Configuring an Apache Cassandra Cluster on Ubuntu Server 20.04
Apache Cassandra is a widely adopted open-source NoSQL database software known for its ability to handle substantial data volumes while ensuring high availability. Unlike traditional relational databases, Cassandra excels in meeting the demands of linear scaling, seamless data distribution, and other requirements crucial for managing big data effectively.
Cassandra is meticulously designed with the following core design principles in mind:
Full Multi-Master Database Replication: Cassandra implements a robust multi-master database replication approach.
Global Availability with Low Latency: The system strives to offer global availability with minimal latency.
Scalability on Commodity Hardware: Cassandra’s architecture is optimized for scalability using readily available commodity hardware.
Linear Throughput Increase: With the addition of each processor, Cassandra aims for a linear increase in throughput.
Online Load Balancing and Cluster Expansion: It provides the capability for online load balancing and seamless cluster growth.
Partitioned Key-Oriented Queries: Cassandra efficiently handles partitioned key-oriented queries.
Flexible Schema: The database supports a flexible schema that allows the addition of new columns to tables without causing downtime.
Key Elements and Features of Cassandra:
Keyspace: This component determines how a dataset is replicated, including details about datacenters and the number of copies. Keyspaces, in turn, contain tables.
Table: Cassandra tables define the typed schema for a collection of partitions and allow for the addition of new columns with zero downtime. Tables consist of partitions, which contain further partitions, ultimately containing columns.
Partition: Partitions in Cassandra define the mandatory part of the primary key that all rows must have. To achieve performance, queries typically include the partition key.
Row: Rows in Cassandra encompass a collection of columns, uniquely identified by a primary key composed of the partition key and, optionally, additional clustering keys.
In summary, Apache Cassandra provides a robust and flexible solution for efficiently managing large-scale data. It excels in scalability, availability, and efficient data distribution, making it an ideal choice for handling big data challenges.
