KairosDB
Fast distributed scalable time series database built on Cassandra
About KairosDB
KairosDB is an open-source, fast, and scalable time series database built on top of Apache Cassandra. It provides efficient storage and retrieval of time series data through multiple ingestion protocols including REST, Telnet, and Graphite, with an intuitive web interface for querying and visualizing metrics.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Highly scalable — handles over 10 billion data points per day
- User-friendly configuration and maintenance
- Fast query response times even with large datasets
- Easily extensible through Guice-based plugin architecture
- Multiple data ingestion protocols for flexible integration
- Free and open source with permissive Apache 2.0 license
Cons
- Requires Apache Cassandra for production use, adding operational complexity
- Limited online documentation and community resources compared to newer alternatives
- Can experience slowness with bulk data operations and connection handling
- Smaller user community than competing time series databases like InfluxDB or TimescaleDB
Key Features
Multiple Ingestion Protocols
Supports data ingestion via REST API, Telnet, and Graphite protocols for flexible integration
Cassandra Backend
Built on Apache Cassandra for production-grade distributed storage with high availability
Massive Scale
Scales to over 10 billion data points per day for demanding time series workloads
REST API
Full REST API for listing metrics, storing data points, querying, and managing tag names and values
Web Interface
Built-in intuitive web UI for running queries and visualizing time series data
Plugin Architecture
Extensible via Guice modules — aggregations, query engines, and webservice APIs can all be customized
H2 Development Mode
Supports lightweight H2 datastore for development and testing without requiring Cassandra
Import/Export
Command-line interface for bulk data import and export operations
Pricing
- Full feature set
- Apache 2.0 license
- Community support
- Unlimited data points
- All ingestion protocols
- Plugin system
Best For
IoT Metrics Collection
Collect and store massive volumes of sensor and device metrics from IoT deployments at scale
Application Performance Monitoring
Store and query application performance metrics for real-time monitoring and historical analysis
Infrastructure Monitoring
Track server, network, and infrastructure metrics with high-resolution time series data
Business Metrics Tracking
Store and analyze business KPIs and operational metrics over time for trend analysis
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