Apache Cassandra vs Datastax Cassandra- Things To Know!

To start with Apache Cassandra vs Datastax Cassandra, let’s have a look at them first! Apache Cassandra can be defined as a distributed DBMS(Database Management System) that is designed to handle vast volumes of data across many data centers and the cloud. It is highly scalable, provides high availability, and zero points of failure. It is a NoSQL database written in Java that provides unique utilities that can’t be matched by the other NoSQL databases.

On the other hand, DataStax is basically a database platform that is based on Apache Cassandra. It has been designed to meet the availability and performance demands of mobile, web, and IoT apps. It provides enterprises a 24×7 secure database that is easy to operate when being scaled in an individual data-center or across various clouds & data centers.

Datastax Cassandra vs Apache Cassandra: The Pros & Cons

Pros Of Apache Cassandra:

• Being a Java-based NoSQL database, Apache Cassandra has a large community & a great adoption rate. Buoyed by the excellent Apache Hadoop, Solr integration, Apache Spark & a robust ecosystem of tools(stress testing, unit tests), it is a winning combination!
• Apache Cassandra has a tunable consistency model that enables consistency as per the requirement of the platform/application.
• If configured accurately, there is ZERO downtime & no data is lost. These are the key criteria of many critical domains.
• It is a hybrid architecture that relies on masterless architecture such as DynamoDB and column-family data model.
• It offers the best performance across diverse sets of read/write/mixed workloads. It comes with linear scalability which strives for the lowest latency, best performance, and the highest throughput.

Pros Of DataStax Cassandra:

• The Enterprise Edition of Datastax Cassandra has more tools, great support, and fast response SLA for enterprise business support.
• Datastax Cassandra renders high availability and excellent performance for a database. It is built on top of the open-source Apache Cassandra that makes it easy for anyone to comprehend the internal functioning without much problem.
• Datastax Cassandra provides a bundle of well-detailed documentation. As you begin, the Datastax site offers detailed free videos & documentation that are very helpful.
• It is quite simple to start using Datastax Cassandra. One can easily install/set up the cluster & be productive within a day.

Cons Of Apache Cassandra:

• If you are working hands-on with an open-source project, Apache Cassandra is one of the best. However, if you require a managed Cassandra-like service to avoid the configure/deploy/backup/restack, a DynamoDB service is a better option.
• Datastax provides some advanced features in the Enterprise version that Apache Cassandra lacks. For instance, security & advanced tools such as OpsCenter are missing in Cassandra. These can be a welcome addition to the open-source Apache Cassandra.
•  Being a JVM-based NoSQL, garbage collection & tuning is an important aspect. 
• Some versions may have some issues that are not known in advance. LostNotificationError is one such example for the repairment of nodes. However, newer releases are increasingly becoming better, offering more stability.

Cons Of DataStax Cassandra:

• Although it is possible to be immediately productive, you must be adept at Datastax Cassandra to leverage its complete potential. 
• It can be a time-consuming affair during debugging if you hit the corner cases such as incorrect utilization of Light Weight transaction, timestamp ties, etc.
• The shift from SQL to NoSQL paradigm is not easy for people who have been utilizing SQL for a long time. Although NoSQL offers much better performance & scalability, the database functionality/interface has to be smooth for the users. It is a challenging task & with the introduction of ACID & horizontally scaling Google Spanner, the competition is strong.
• Datastax Cassandra comes with immense benefits in product & features but the infrastructure maintenance & regular operational tasks can be a bit costly. Time investment in Datastax Cassandra is comparatively more in comparison to its rivals.

Closing Thoughts:

Cassandra has been one of the most powerful and commonly utilized databases of NoSQL. One of the main advantages of this system is that it provides highly available services with zero points of failure. It is the key benefit that companies leverage, those who can’t afford to have their system getting grounded or losing data. Without a single point of failure, it provides completely reliable access and availability. Let’s hope that this blog will help you distinguish between Apache Cassandra vs Datastax Cassandra. 

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