Instructor-led training

Introduction to Cassandra for Developers

The Cassandra (C*) database is a massively scalable NoSQL database that provides high availability and fault tolerance, as well as linear scalability when adding new nodes to a cluster.

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What you'll learn

The Cassandra (C*) database is a massively scalable NoSQL database that provides high availability and fault tolerance, as well as linear scalability when adding new nodes to a cluster. It has many powerful capabilities, such as tunable and eventual consistency, that allow it to meet the needs of modern applications, but also introduce a new paradigm for data modeling that many organizations do not have the expertise to use in the best way This course provides an in-depth introduction to using Cassandra and creating good data models with Cassandra. It is technical and comprehensive, with a focus on the practical aspects of working with C*. It introduces all the important concepts needed to understand Cassandra, including enough coverage of internal architecture to make good decisions. It is hands-on, with labs that provide experience in all the important areas. It covers CQL (Cassandra Query Language) in depth, as well as covering the Java API for writing Cassandra clients

Prerequisites

Reasonable Java experience for the Java driver labs, some knowledge of databases

Course Outline

Session 1: Cassandra Overview

Why We Need Cassandra
High level Cassandra Overview
Cassandra Features
Basic Cassandra Installation and Configuration

Session 2: Cassandra Architecture and CQL Overview

Cassandra Architecture Overview
Cassandra Clusters and Rings
Data Replication in Cassandra
Cassandra Consistency / Eventual Consistency
Introduction to CQL
Defining Tables with a Single Primary Key
Using cqlsh for Interactive Querying
Selecting and Inserting/Upserting Data with CQL
Data Replication and Distribution
Basic Data Types (including uuid, timeuuid)

Session 3: Data Modeling and CQL Core Concepts

Defining a Compound Primary Key
- CQL for Compound Primary Keys
- Partition Keys and Data Distribution
- Clustering Columns
- Overview of Internal Data Organization
Additional Querying Capabilities
- Result Ordering - ORDER BY and CLUSTERING ORDER BY
- UPDATE and DELETE Queries
- Result Filtering, ALLOW FILTERING
- Batch Queries
Data Modeling Guidelines
- Denormalization
- Data Modeling Workflow
- Data Modeling Principles
- Primary Key Considerations
Composite Partition Keys
- Defining with CQL
- Data Distribution with Composite Partition Key
- Overview of Internal Data Organization

Session 4: Additional CQL Capabilities

Indexing
- Primary/Partition Keys and Pagination with token()
- Secondary Indexes and Usage Guidelines
Cassandra Counters
- Counter Structure and Definition
- Using Counters
- Counter Limitations
Cassandra collections
- Collection Structure and Uses
- Defining Collections (set, list, and map)
- Querying Collections (Including Insert, Update, Delete)
- Limitations
- Overview of Internal Storage Organization
Static Column: Overview and Usage
Static Column Guidelines
Materialized View: Overview and Usage
Materialized View Guidelines

Session 5: Data Consistency In Cassandra

Overview of Consistency in Cassandra
CAP Theorem
Eventual (Tunable) Consistency in C* - ONE, QUORUM, ALL
Choosing CL ONE
Choosing CL QUORUM
Achieving Immediate Consistency
Using other Consistency Levels
Internal Repair Mechanisms (Read Repair, Hinted Handoff)

Session 6: Lightweight Transactions (LWT)/ Compare and Set (CAS)

Overview of Lightweight Transactions
Using LWT, the [applied] Column
IF EXISTS, IF NOT EXISTS, Other IF conditions
Basic CAS Internals
Overhead and Guidelines

Session 7: Practical Considerations

Dealing with Write Failure
- Unavailable Nodes and Node Failure
- Requirements for Write Operations
Key and Row Caches
- Cache Overview
- Usage Guidelines
Multi-Data Center Support
- Overview
- Replication Factor Configuration
- Additional Consistency Levels - LOCAL/EACH QUORUM
Deletes
- CQL for Deletion
- Tombstones
- Usage Guidelines

Session 7: The Java Client API

API Overview
- Introduction
- Architecture and Features
Connecting to a Cluster
- Cluster and Cluster.Builder
- Contact Points, Connecting to a Cluster
- Session Overview and API
- Working with Sessions
The Query API
- Overview
- Dynamic Queries, Statement, SimpleStatement
- Processing Query Results, ResultSet, Row
- PreparedStatement, BoundStatement
- Binding Values and Querying with PreparedStatements
- CQL to Java Type Mapping
- Working with UUIDs
- Working with Time/Date Values
- Working with Batches of SimpleStatement and PreparedStatement
Dynamic Queries and QueryBuilder
- QueryBuilder Overview and API
- Building SELECT, DELETE, INSERT, and UPDATE Queries
- Creating WHERE Clauses
- Other Query Examples
Configuring Query Behavior
- Setting LIMIT and TTL
- Working with Consistency
- Using LWT
- Working with Driver Policies
- Load Balancing Policies - RoundRobinPolicy, DCAwareRoundRobinPolicy
- Retry Policies - DefaultRetryPolicy, DowngradingConsistencyRetryPolicy, Other Policies
- Reconnection Policies
Asynchronous Querying Overview
- Synchronous vs. Asynchronous Querying
- Executing Asynchronous Queries
- java.util.concurrent.Future
- Cassandra ResultSetFuture
- Future Result Processing

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