Amazon RDS

Website

aws.amazon.com

Categories

#Databases #NoSQL Databases #Relational Databases #Key-Value Database

Apache Cassandra

Website

cassandra.apache.org

Categories

#Databases #NoSQL Databases #Relational Databases #Big Data

Amazon RDS features and specs

• Managed Service
  Amazon RDS takes care of routine database tasks such as backups, patch management, and scalability, reducing the operational burden on users.
• Scalability
  Easily scale your database's compute and storage resources with a few clicks or automatically with Amazon RDS Auto Scaling.
• High Availability
  Amazon RDS provides Multi-AZ deployments for disaster recovery and automated backups, ensuring high availability and durability.
• Security
  Integrated with AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM), Amazon RDS offers encryption at rest and in transit, as well as network isolation using Amazon VPC.
• Performance Monitoring
  Amazon RDS provides built-in performance monitoring tools such as Amazon CloudWatch for tracking key metrics and identifying issues.
• Compatibility
  Supports multiple database engines including MySQL, PostgreSQL, MariaDB, Oracle, and SQL Server, offering flexibility based on your requirements.

Possible disadvantages of Amazon RDS

• Cost
  The cost of using Amazon RDS can accumulate quickly, especially with high storage demands, high availability configurations, and extensive data transfer.
• Limited Customization
  As a managed service, there are limits to the customization and fine-tuning compared to self-managed databases, which might not meet all specialized needs.
• Vendor Lock-In
  Reliance on Amazon RDS ties you into the AWS ecosystem, making migration to another cloud provider or on-premise environment more challenging.
• Performance Variability
  While generally reliable, users may sometimes experience variability in performance due to shared cloud infrastructure.
• Configuration Restrictions
  Certain database configurations and features available in on-premise setups might not be supported or might have limited support in Amazon RDS.
• Complexity in Hybrid Environments
  Integrating Amazon RDS with on-premise systems or other cloud providers can be complex and might require additional configuration and management.

Apache Cassandra features and specs

• Scalability
  Apache Cassandra is designed for linear scalability and can handle large volumes of data across many commodity servers without a single point of failure.
• High Availability
  Cassandra ensures high availability by replicating data across multiple nodes. Even if some nodes fail, the system remains operational.
• Performance
  It provides fast writes and reads by using a peer-to-peer architecture, making it highly suitable for applications requiring quick data access.
• Flexible Data Model
  Cassandra supports a flexible schema, allowing users to add new columns to a table at any time, making it adaptable for various use cases.
• Geographical Distribution
  Data can be distributed across multiple data centers, ensuring low-latency access for geographically distributed users.
• No Single Point of Failure
  Its decentralized nature ensures there is no single point of failure, which enhances resilience and fault-tolerance.

Possible disadvantages of Apache Cassandra

• Complexity
  Managing and configuring Cassandra can be complex, requiring specialized knowledge and skills for optimal performance.
• Eventual Consistency
  Cassandra follows an eventual consistency model, meaning that there might be a delay before all nodes have the latest data, which may not be suitable for all use cases.
• Write-heavy Operations
  Although Cassandra handles writes efficiently, write-heavy workloads can lead to compaction issues and increased read latency.
• Limited Query Capabilities
  Cassandra's query capabilities are relatively limited compared to traditional RDBMS, lacking support for complex joins and aggregations.
• Maintenance Overhead
  Regular maintenance tasks such as node repair and compaction are necessary to ensure optimal performance, adding to the administrative overhead.
• Tooling and Ecosystem
  While the ecosystem for Cassandra is growing, it is still not as extensive or mature as those for some other database technologies.

Amazon Relational Database Service (Amazon RDS)

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Course Intro | DS101: Introduction to Apache Cassandra™

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