FAQ

GridDB Fundamentals

What is GridDB?

GridDB is a time series 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.

Does GridDB support SQL?

Yes, GridDB supports SQL-92 and TQL, an SQL-like query language.

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.

Data Model

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.

Network

Does GridDB work on public cloud environment?

Yes.

Memory and Storage

Can I mix different nodes in GridDB cluster?

GridDB OSS v4.5 supports single-node setup only.

Others

GridDB Licensing

The server source license is GNU Affero General Public License (AGPL), while the Java client library license and the operational commands is Apache License, version 2.0.

There is something not in the FAQ that I need to ask.

You can ask your questions on Stackoverflow. One of our engineers will gladly answer