FAQs

     

  • What is GridDB?
  • GridDB is a highly scalable NoSQL database best suited for Big Data and IoT (Internet of Things). GridDB is designed to handle time-sensitive IoT data across numerous sensors while maintaining consistency and durability.

    •  

  • Compared to other NoSQL databases, what are GridDB’s main advantages?
  • GridDB has the unique ability to handle IoT (Internet of Things) data thanks to its Key-Container data model.  The time-series container’s functionality in manipulating incoming time-based data from sensors ensure that GridDB will be the most well-equipped NoSQL Database in handling IoT data. GridDB is also blazingly fast.

    •  

  • What makes GridDB so fast?
  • GridDB utilizes a “Memory first, Storage second” structure. “Hot” data is kept in-memory, allowing for much faster writes/reads on the most-used data.

    •  

  • What hardware and platforms does GridDB Server support?
  • See the Supported platforms section for up to date information.

    •  

  • What are the differences between GridDB editions?
  • There are two editions: Community Edition (CE) and Standard Edition (SE). GridDB CE is the open-source version, and GridDB SE is the commercial version. You can see the differences here

    •  

  • Does GridDB support SQL?
  • No, but GridDB AE does support TQL, an SQL-like query language. The support range is limited to functions such as search, aggregation, etc. GridDB AE also supports SQL commands through the JDBC (Java Database Connectivity) Connector.

    •  

  • Does GridDB support transactions?
  • Yes, they are supported on a container-basis, meaning GridDB containers are ACID-compliant.

    •  

  • What is ACID?
  • GridDB being ACID compliant means that database transactions abide by each of the rules in the acronym:
    Atomicity: all transactions are all or nothing
    Consistency: all data changes must abide by rules set forth by administrator
    Isolation: transactions are committed serially (one after the other)
    Durability: ensures data is always safe by ensuring transactions stay committed.

    •  

  • What is a Container?
  • To make things easier to visualize, you can think of Containers as a Relational DB table, complete with columns and rows. GridDB has two differents kinds of Containers: Collection and Time-Series. Collection Containers handles more traditional data (Strings, Booleans, Arrays, etc), whereas Time-Series Containers are equipped to handle time-stamp data. Since these Containers function like tables, each Container has its own schema.

    •  

  • What is a Row?
  • Similar to the RDB data model, a Row a flat piece of data which abides by the schema set in place by the container. A Row can have a key, but it is not mandatory.

    •  

  • If Containers are similar to Relational tables, does that mean GridDB also has issues scaling horizontally?
  • GridDB is unique in that it offers strong data consistency at the container level (with ACID-compliance), and also provides a safe way to scale-out (rather than scaling-up like other relational databases). Nodes are able to be added on-the-fly without any stoppage of service/operation.

    •  

  • Specifically, how does GridDB handle replication?
  • GridDB employs a hybrid of peer-to-peer and master-slave cluster management. This means that the master node is determined dynamically and autonomously, resulting in a cluster that has no single point of failure (SPOF). Data is replicated throughout all of the nodes ensuring high availability and durability.

    •  

  • Does GridDB work on a public cloud environment?
  • Yes.

    •  

  • Can I mix different nodes in a GridDB cluster?
  • Yes, GridDB can scale-out using  commodity hardware.

    •  

  • How can I change replication factor?
  • This can be edited in the cluster definition file (gs_cluster.json).

    •  

  • There is something not in the FAQ that I need to ask.
  • There might be useful information in the developer forum. You can post your questions by registering your user account.