Manage big data seamlessly with Cassandra! Learn the nuances of hiring qualified Cassandra developers while ensuring high availability and fault-tolerant solutions.
Introduced in 2008 by Facebook, Apache Cassandra is a widely used and very popular data management tool. Large enterprises, including several Fortune 500 companies, turn to open source database system to accommodate, transfer and manage large amounts of data every day. GrubHub, Instagram, Reddit, Instacart, Netflix, Uber, Spotify, Walmart, Target, Cox Communications and, of course, Facebook are just a few of these big names.
As companies grow and generate ever-increasing amounts of data, they are increasingly turning to Cassandra as a solution to handle this abundance of information. With this comes the need for a talented developer who can build and incorporate Cassandra solutions into your group.
Cassandra Developer Hiring Guide
A relatively new technology, Cassandra has gained enormous popularity in recent years, surpassing that of many of its peers. The platform itself has grown along with its capabilities, leading many companies to choose to include it in their stacks. As of July 2021, Cassandra ranks 10th in a database engines popularity rankings list of database management systems.
Cassandra is widely used in various industries, especially those that manage and process large amounts of data, such as information technology, healthcare, finance and banking, education, retail and many others. It is found all over the world, from the USA to Australia, from Argentina to India.
Interview Questions
Describe the main features of Cassandra
Cassandra is ideal for applications and programs that must retain their data while running simultaneously, without interruptions. Some of the key features and benefits of using data management tool are
- Automatic registration
- Synchronous and asynchronous replication options
- Data distribution
- Distributed architecture
- Fault tolerance
- Low latency
- Replication support
- Reliability
- Scalability
- Stability and consistency
Furthermore, Cassandra has its own query language called Cassandra Query Language or CQL which supports the data management system.
What do we mean by NoSQL?
An acronym for Not only SQL — generally indicates that you are working with a non-relational database. These types of databases are means of storing and accessing data in multiple formats or types, those that are not necessarily presented in table form. The 4 main types of NoSQL databases are:
- Document storage
- Graphics store
- Key-value store
- Wide Column Store
These databases are scalable and capable of accommodating multiple data loads along with different types of information. Cassandra is an example of a NoSQL database management tool
What query language does Cassandra use?
Cassandra has its own query language called Cassandra Query Language or CQL. This is the predominant way a developer interacts and communicates with a Cassandra database. Similar to SQL in structure, it presents an alternative to the more established query language.
What separates Cassandra from other NoSQL database solutions?
Cassandra is one of the most popular NoSQL database solutions, and for good reason. On the one hand, nodes are essential to the scaling process – it adds more and more nodes so that it is able to function without a master and without suffering downtime or failures. Therefore, it is a high-performance solution. Additionally, data originating from a node in a given location can be accessed by a node in a different location through Cassandra's network of distributed devices. Furthermore, Cassandra is a broad column store where column formats can be different within the same table.
Cassandra, a high-performance distributed database, is made up of several essential components that contribute to its scalability and reliability. Below is a concise overview of its architecture:
- Nodes: Individual servers that store data and can process requests, acting as the fundamental data storage unit.
- Data centers: Collections of related nodes, often used to structure geographically distributed infrastructures.
- Clusters: Groups of one or more data centers, serving as the outermost container for data in Cassandra.
- SSTables (sorted string tables): Immutable data files that store rows in a sorted order, used for persistent data storage.
- Commit logs: Record all data insertions and updates, ensuring data recovery in the event of a system failure.
- CQL Tables: User-defined schemas that organize data within the keyspace, similar to tables in RDBMS.
- In-Memory Tables: In-memory data structures that collect data before it is written to SSTables.
- Flower Filters: Memory-efficient data structures that help you quickly determine whether a row is present in an SSTable.
These components work together to ensure that Cassandra provides continuous availability, high scalability, and data distribution across multiple servers.
Job description
We are looking for a Java developer to work with Cassandra database management systems. In your role, you will use Java and other languages and technologies to build secure databases and data networks, as well as scale and improve existing ones.
Responsibilities
- Design and develop scalable data architecture
- Monitor performance and analytics for Cassandra solutions
- Code Scripts
- Scale existing data management systems
- Clear data
- Handle updates and repairs as needed
- Work with stakeholders to define and research key requirements
- Collaborate with other developers and team members to ensure accuracy and quality
Skills and qualifications
- At least 4 years of experience with Apache Cassandra, including design, development, performance optimization, and implementation
- At least 7 years of experience with Java
- Knowledge of Cassandra architecture
- Knowledge of Cassandra Query Language (CQL)
- Table design experience
- Kafka development experience
- Experience with Linux and Unix
- Experience with C language
- Experience working with schema
- Proven ability to monitor systems
- Tuning knowledge
- Ability to manage large projects
- Extensive experience in NoSQL
- Experience with indexing and search programs and tools
- Experience with Cassandra clusters
- Experience working in an agile environment
- Data processing and loading skills
- Superior problem-solving, analytical, and written and verbal communication skills
- Bachelor's degree in computer science or related discipline
