Apache Ignite vs MemSQL: What are the differences?

Introduction

Markdown code for the key differences between Apache Ignite and MemSQL will be provided below.

1. Data Model: Apache Ignite is an in-memory computing platform that provides high-performance distributed data storage and processing capabilities, supporting both transactional and analytical workloads. It offers a flexible data model with support for key-value, SQL, and compute APIs. On the other hand, MemSQL is a distributed, in-memory, SQL database that excels at real-time ad hoc and transactional analytics. It has a relational data model, supporting SQL queries for data manipulation and retrieval.

2. Scale-Out Architecture: Apache Ignite follows a scale-out architecture, allowing users to add more server nodes to expand the capacity and performance of the cluster. It is designed to horizontally scale across a large number of nodes, making it suitable for handling big data workloads. In contrast, MemSQL leverages a distributed, scalable architecture that combines a distributed SQL database with an in-memory storage engine to deliver high performance across large datasets.

3. Memory Management: Apache Ignite uses a dynamic memory management system that allows users to define how much memory should be allocated to data storage, caching, and internal operations. Users can configure the memory settings based on specific requirements and available resources. MemSQL, being an in-memory database, stores data primarily in memory for faster access. It employs sophisticated memory management techniques to optimize data storage and processing within the available memory resources.

4. SQL Compliance: Both Apache Ignite and MemSQL support SQL queries for data manipulation and retrieval. However, Apache Ignite provides ANSI SQL-99 compliance with support for additional SQL features like distributed joins, ACID transactions, and global indexes. MemSQL offers full SQL-92 compliance, ensuring compatibility with a wide range of existing SQL applications, tools, and drivers.

5. Persistence Options: Apache Ignite supports various persistence options, allowing users to store data on disk or in a combination of memory and disk. It provides flexibility in configuring data durability and persistency, essential for scenarios requiring long-term data storage and recovery. MemSQL also offers persistent storage options but primarily relies on in-memory storage for optimal performance. Disk storage can be used for backup or as a fallback in case of memory limitations.

6. Integration Capabilities: Apache Ignite provides extensive integration capabilities, allowing users to connect with various databases, data sources, and frameworks. It can be easily integrated with popular SQL, NoSQL, and Hadoop data sources, enabling seamless data ingestion and processing. MemSQL supports various integration options as well, providing connectors for streaming platforms, data pipelines, and analytics frameworks to facilitate real-time data ingestion and analysis.

In summary, Apache Ignite and MemSQL differ in their data models, scale-out architectures, memory management approaches, SQL compliance levels, persistence options, and integration capabilities.