Azure Cosmos DB Overview
Azure Cosmos DB is a globally distributed, multi-model database service that enables you to rapidly create and query semi-structured and structured data with a virtually unlimited throughput and storage. It offers comprehensive service level agreements (SLAs) on availability, latency, throughput, and consistency, backed by an unparalleled SLA for mission-critical applications.
Key Features of Azure Cosmos DB
Globally Distributed
Achieve low latency access for your data by distributing your data across any number of Azure regions. Turn on turnkey global distribution with a single API call or a few clicks in the Azure portal.
Multi-Model
Support for multiple data models including document, key-value, graph, and column-family. Choose the API that best fits your application needs (SQL, MongoDB, Cassandra, Gremlin, Table).
Scalable Throughput
Scale throughput independently of storage and vice versa. Achieve predictable performance with dedicated provisioned throughput or utilize auto-scale to handle variable workloads efficiently.
High Availability
Built with Azure's robust infrastructure, Cosmos DB provides always-on availability with no downtime and comprehensive SLAs for availability, latency, throughput, and consistency.
Core Concepts
Understanding the fundamental concepts of Azure Cosmos DB is crucial for designing and managing your NoSQL solutions:
- Resource Model: Everything in Cosmos DB is a resource, from accounts and databases to containers and items.
- Containers: A container is a fundamental resource for storing JSON documents, key-value pairs, graph nodes/edges, or rows. Containers are schema-agnostic and are the unit of both partitioning and throughput provisioning.
- Items: An item is the basic unit of data storage within a container. For documents, items are JSON documents.
- Partitioning: To ensure horizontal scalability, data in Cosmos DB is partitioned. Each partition has a partition key that determines which partition an item belongs to.
- Consistency Levels: Cosmos DB offers five well-defined consistency levels, from strong consistency to eventual consistency, allowing you to balance consistency, availability, and performance.
Use Cases
Azure Cosmos DB is ideal for a wide range of applications, including:
- Internet of Things (IoT) data ingestion and processing
- Gaming leaderboards and player data
- E-commerce platforms (shopping carts, product catalogs)
- Customer 360 applications
- Real-time analytics and personalization
Getting Started
To begin using Azure Cosmos DB:
- Create an Azure Cosmos DB account in the Azure portal.
- Create a database and then containers within that database.
- Start creating items (e.g., JSON documents) and querying your data using the chosen API.
You can find detailed documentation, tutorials, and SDKs for various programming languages on the Azure Cosmos DB SDK page.