Working with Cassandra

Cassandra Overview

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

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, and timeuuid)

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

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

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 and Hinted Handoff)

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

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

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

Join an engaging hands-on learning environment, where you’ll learn to:

• Understand the needs that C* addresses
• Be familiar with the operation and structure of C*
• Be able to install and set up a C* database
• Use the C* tools, including cqlsh, nodetool, and ccm (Cassandra Cluster Manager)
• Be familiar with the C* architecture, and how a C* cluster is structured
• Understand how data is distributed and replicated in a C* cluster
• Understand core C* data modeling concepts, and use them to create well-structured data models
• Use data replication and eventual consistency intelligently
• Understand and use CQL to create tables and query for data
• Know and use the CQL data types (numerical, textual, uuid, etc.)
• Understand the various kinds of primary keys available (simple, compound, and composite primary keys)
• Use more advanced capabilities like collections, counters, secondary indexes, CAS (Compare and Set), static columns, and batches
• Be familiar with the Java client API
• Use the Java client API to write client programs that work with C*
• Build and use dynamic queries with QueryBuilder
• Understand and use asynchronous queries with the Java API

This course has a 50% hands-on labs to 50% lecture ratio with engaging instruction, demos, group discussions, labs, and project work.

Before attending this course, you should:

• Be comfortable with Java
• Have experience working with databases
• Able to navigate the Linux command line
• Have basic knowledge of Linux editors (such as VI/nano) for editing code

Experienced Java Developers with database experience.