MSDN Documentation

Documentation / Tutorials / Azure Cosmos DB SDK Overview

Azure Cosmos DB SDK Overview

This tutorial provides a comprehensive overview of the Azure Cosmos DB SDKs, covering their purpose, features, and how to get started with them for various programming languages.

What is Azure Cosmos DB?

Azure Cosmos DB is Microsoft's globally distributed, multi-model database service. It enables developers to build highly responsive and always-available applications with ease. Cosmos DB supports various APIs, including SQL (DocumentDB), MongoDB, Cassandra, Gremlin (Graph), and Table.

Purpose of the SDKs

The Azure Cosmos DB SDKs are client libraries designed to simplify interaction with the Cosmos DB service from your applications. They abstract away the complexities of HTTP requests, authentication, and data serialization, allowing you to focus on your application logic. Key benefits include:

  • Simplified data operations (CRUD)
  • Asynchronous programming support
  • Connection pooling and resource management
  • Error handling and retries
  • Cross-platform compatibility

Supported SDKs

Azure Cosmos DB offers SDKs for a variety of popular programming languages and platforms:

  • .NET: For applications built on the .NET framework (including .NET Core).
  • Java: For applications written in Java.
  • Node.js: For applications using JavaScript on Node.js.
  • Python: For applications written in Python.
  • Go: For applications written in Go.
  • REST API: For any language or platform that can make HTTP requests.

Getting Started

To get started, you'll need an Azure subscription and an Azure Cosmos DB account. You can create these resources through the Azure portal, Azure CLI, or Azure PowerShell.

Installation (Example: .NET SDK)

You can install the .NET SDK using NuGet Package Manager:


Install-Package Microsoft.Azure.Cosmos

Basic Usage (Example: .NET SDK - Creating a Client)

Here's a simple example of how to create a Cosmos DB client instance using the .NET SDK:


using Microsoft.Azure.Cosmos;
using System;
using System.Threading.Tasks;

public class CosmosDbClientExample
{
    // Replace with your actual endpoint and key
    private static readonly string Endpoint = "https://YOUR_COSMOS_DB_ACCOUNT.documents.azure.com:443/";
    private static readonly string Key = "YOUR_COSMOS_DB_PRIMARY_KEY";

    public static async Task Main(string[] args)
    {
        CosmosClient client = new CosmosClient(Endpoint, Key);

        Console.WriteLine("Cosmos DB client created successfully.");

        // Further operations would go here, like creating/accessing databases and containers
        // For example:
        // Database database = await client.CreateDatabaseIfNotExistsAsync("MyDatabase");
        // Container container = await database.CreateContainerIfNotExistsAsync("MyContainer", "/partitionKey");

        Console.WriteLine("Press any key to exit.");
        Console.ReadKey();
    }
}

Key SDK Features

  • Database and Container Management: Create, read, update, and delete databases and containers.
  • Item Operations: Perform CRUD operations on your data items (documents, rows, etc.).
  • Querying Data: Execute SQL queries against your data.
  • Indexing Policies: Configure indexing to optimize query performance.
  • Throughput Provisioning: Manage Request Units (RUs) for performance.
  • Partitioning: Understand and leverage partitioning for scalability.
  • Conflict Resolution: Implement last writer wins or custom logic.

Important Note: Always handle your Cosmos DB account keys securely. Avoid hardcoding them directly into your application code. Consider using environment variables, Azure Key Vault, or managed identities for production environments.

Next Steps

To continue learning, explore the specific SDK documentation for your chosen language. The following resources are highly recommended: