Aerospike vs Hazelcast: What are the differences?

Introduction:

Aerospike and Hazelcast are both distributed database systems that offer unique features and functionalities for various use cases. Here are the key differences between Aerospike and Hazelcast:

1. Data Model and Querying Language:

   • Aerospike: Aerospike uses a key-value data model, where each record is uniquely identified by a primary key. It supports querying using the Aerospike Query Language (ASQL) or a subset of SQL-like syntax for filtering and manipulating data.
   • Hazelcast: Hazelcast uses a distributed computing platform that provides an in-memory key-value store, but it also supports other data structures like distributed maps, queues, topics, and more. It does not provide a dedicated querying language, but supports querying using MapReduce operations or Predicate-based filtering.

2. Consistency and Replication:

   • Aerospike: Aerospike ensures strong consistency guarantees through its reliable, distributed replication mechanism. It supports various replication configurations, including synchronous replication with automatic failover and eventual consistency configurations.
   • Hazelcast: Hazelcast provides eventual consistency and best-effort replication with customizable trade-offs between consistency, availability, and partition tolerance. It allows users to define the desired consistency guarantee based on their application requirements.

3. Scalability and Performance:

   • Aerospike: Aerospike is built for high-performance and scalability. It provides automatic data partitioning and distribution across nodes in a cluster, enabling linear scalability and efficient utilization of resources. It also includes various mechanisms for data compression and optimization to enhance overall performance.
   • Hazelcast: Hazelcast is designed to be highly scalable and can handle large datasets and high throughput workloads. It supports horizontal scaling by adding more nodes to the cluster, and provides partition-based data distribution to ensure optimal performance. Additionally, it offers various optimizations like data storage management and indexing for efficient data access.

4. Supported Programming Languages:

   • Aerospike: Aerospike provides client libraries and SDKs for multiple programming languages, including Java, C#, C, Node.js, Python, and more, making it accessible to developers from different technology stacks.
   • Hazelcast: Hazelcast supports a wide range of programming languages, such as Java, .NET/C#, C++, Python, Node.js, and more, allowing developers to use their preferred language to interact with the database system.

5. Data Durability and Persistence:

   • Aerospike: Aerospike provides configurable data durability with the ability to persist data to disk and maintain replicas for fault tolerance. It offers various options for data backup and recovery, ensuring data integrity and availability even in the face of failures.
   • Hazelcast: Hazelcast supports data persistence to disk, facilitating durability in case of server restarts or failures. However, it does not provide built-in replication and fault-tolerance mechanisms, so users need to configure external systems for replication and backup.

6. Clustering and High Availability:

   • Aerospike: Aerospike utilizes a distributed cluster architecture with built-in fault tolerance and automatic failover. It supports various clustering options like multi-site replication and rack-awareness, ensuring high availability and data accessibility.
   • Hazelcast: Hazelcast relies on a distributed cluster setup to provide high availability and fault tolerance. It supports automatic data replication and recovery in case of node failures, ensuring continuous availability of data and services.

In Summary, Aerospike and Hazelcast differ in terms of data model, querying language, consistency guarantees, scalability, supported programming languages, data durability, and clustering/high availability.