Aerospike (database)


Aerospike is a flash-optimized in-memory open source NoSQL database and the name of the eponymous company that produces it.

History

Aerospike Database was first known as Citrusleaf 2.0. In August 2012, the company - which had been providing its database since 2010 - rebranded both the company and software name to Aerospike. The name "Aerospike" is derived from the aerospike engine, a type of rocket nozzle that is able to maintain its output efficiency over a large range of altitudes, and is intended to refer to the software's ability to scale up. In 2012, Aerospike acquired AlchemyDB, and integrated the two databases' functions, including the addition of a relational data management system. On June 24, 2014, Aerospike was opensourced under the AGPL 3.0 license for the Aerospike database server and the Apache License Version 2.0 for its Aerospike client software development kit. In February 2015, Aerospike named John Dillon, previously of Salesforce.com, as its new CEO.

Features

Aerospike Database is written in C, and operates in three layers: a flash optimized data layer, a self-managed distribution layer and a cluster-aware client layer. The distribution layer is replicated across data centers to ensure consistency. The replication also allows the database to remain operational when an individual server node fails or is removed from the cluster. The smart client layer is used to track the cluster configuration in the database, and manages communications in the server node.
The data layer in Aerospike Database is optimized to store data in solid-state drive, NVMe, RAM, or traditional rotational media. The database indices are stored in RAM for quick availability, and data writes are optimized through large block writes to reduce latency. The software also employs two sub-programs that are codenamed Defragmenter and Evictor. Defragmenter removes data blocks that have been deleted, and Evictor frees RAM space by removing references to expired records.