In Apache Cassandra Lunch #87: Cassandra.api, Astra, and Stargate, we discussed using AstraDBs included Stargate API layer to substitute for the written Node and Python APIs in our Cassandra.api project. The live recording of Cassandra Lunch, which includes a more in-depth discussion and a demo, is embedded below in case you were not able to attend live. If you would like to attend Apache Cassandra Lunch live, it is hosted every Wednesday at 12 PM EST. Register here now!

Datastax Astra

Astra is a cloud native Database as a Service offered by Datastax. Its core is a version of Apache Cassandra, surrounded by supporting technologies and managed by Datastax. Astra offers a potentially cheaper option to users of Cassandra, while also relieving users of the burden of operating their own instances. Astra was used as the backend database for the original Cassandra.Api project alongside REST apis written in Python and Node.

Stargate

Stargate is an API gateway that sits between applications and Cassandra Databases. It is compatible with Astra,Cassandra 3.x,Cassandra 4.0, and DSE 6.8. Stargate creates a number of different APIs for representing and accessing Cassandra data. These include the Rest API (JSON w/ schema dependent endpoints), the Document API (Schemaless json), and the GraphQL API. Stargate works by creating coordinator nodes as part of a Cassandra cluster.

Coordinator nodes don’t store data, but they can communicate with other Cassandra nodes that do. Then Stargate uses this functionality in order to furnish requests without having to store any data from the Cassandra cluster.

Stargate Internals

Stargate splits into three sections: API Extensions – Defines APIs and converts requests to and from database queries. It handles communication with clients and databases.

Persistence Extensions – Communicates with the underlying database. Separate ones for different Cassandra versions. It uses Cassandra Java classes and interacts with internal Cassandra objects.

Authentication Extensions – This section controls access to stargate

Cassandra.Link

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