Apache Cassandra v1.2 adds dense cluster support to NoSQL database

After last year’s unprecedented success, the Apache Software Foundation haven’t waited long to announce their first release of 2013, with column-oriented database Apache Cassandra receiving a big update.

Apache Cassandra v1.2’s big highlight is the introduction of support for dense clusters, making it far easier to power multiple terabytes per node. Also included in the latest version of the distributed database is simplified application modeling and “improving data cell storage/design/representation” to make scaling petabytes of data that much easier.

In a press release, Jonathan Ellis, Vice President of Apache Cassandra said that the database “continues to be a leading option for scalability and high availability without compromising performance” and the improvements provided within v1.2 “reinforces our commitment to growth while preserving backwards compatibility.”

The first release since April 2012 also includes the latest version of Cassandra’s own query language, CQL3, which uses syntax similar to SQL to make the transition of using Cassandra easier for newcomers.

“It’s great to see the core of Apache Cassandra continue to evolve,” said independent software developer Kelly Sommers. “In Cassandra v1.2 the introduction of vnodes will simplify managing clusters while improving performance when adding and rebuilding nodes. v1.2 also includes many new features, performance improvements and further heap reduction to eleviate [sic] the burden on the JVM garbage collector.”

Originally developed by Facebook back in 2008, the NoSQL solution has gained a strong community backing since arriving at Apache in 2009. It graduated as a Top-Level Project from the Apache Incubator in February 2010 and has made it into a wide variety of enterprise environments including the likes of Disney, eBay, IBM, Netflix and Twitter.

More than 12 months have passed since Apache Cassandra’s first major version and while the latest release may not be as groundbreaking as then, it shows the team’s dedication into making it one of the most highly performant and scalable databases of its kind.