Choosing the right database is a critical choice when building any software application. All databases have different strengths and weaknesses when it comes to performance, so deciding which database has the most benefits and the most minor downsides for your specific use case and data model is an important decision. Below you will find an overview of the key concepts, architecture, features, use cases, and pricing models of AWS DynamoDB and Graphite so you can quickly see how they compare against each other.

The primary purpose of this article is to compare how AWS DynamoDB and Graphite perform for workloads involving time series data, not for all possible use cases. Time series data typically presents a unique challenge in terms of database performance. This is due to the high volume of data being written and the query patterns to access that data. This article doesn’t intend to make the case for which database is better; it simply provides an overview of each database so you can make an informed decision.

AWS DynamoDB vs Graphite Breakdown


 
Database Model

Key-value and document store

Time series database

Architecture

DynamoDB is a fully managed, serverless NoSQL database provided by Amazon Web Services (AWS). It uses a single-digit millisecond latency for high-performance use cases and supports both key-value and document data models. Data is partitioned and replicated across multiple availability zones within an AWS region, and DynamoDB supports eventual or strong consistency for read operations

Graphite can be deployed on-premises or in the cloud, and it supports horizontal scaling by partitioning data across multiple backend nodes.

License

Closed source

Apache 2.0

Use Cases

Serverless web applications, real-time bidding platforms, gaming leaderboards, IoT data management, high-velocity data processing

Monitoring, observability, IoT, real-time analytics, DevOps, application performance monitoring

Scalability

Automatically scales to handle large amounts of read and write throughput, supports on-demand capacity and auto-scaling, global tables for multi-region replication

Horizontally scalable, supports clustering and replication for high availability and performance

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AWS DynamoDB Overview

Amazon DynamoDB is a managed NoSQL database service provided by AWS. It was first introduced in 2012, and it was designed to provide low-latency, high-throughput performance. DynamoDB is built on the principles of the Dynamo paper, which was published by Amazon engineers in 2007, and it aims to offer a highly available, scalable, and distributed key-value store.

Graphite Overview

Graphite is an open-source monitoring and graphing tool created in 2006 by Orbitz and open sourced in 2008. Graphite is designed for storing time series data and is widely used for collecting, storing, and visualizing metrics from various sources, such as application performance, system monitoring, and business analytics.


AWS DynamoDB for Time Series Data

DynamoDB can be used with time series data, although it may not be the most optimized solution compared to specialized time series databases. To store time series data in DynamoDB, you can use a composite primary key with a partition key for the entity identifier and a sort key for the timestamp. This allows you to efficiently query data for a specific entity and time range. However, DynamoDB’s main weakness when dealing with time series data is its lack of built-in support for data aggregation and downsampling, which are common requirements for time series analysis. You may need to perform these operations in your application or use additional services like AWS Lambda to process the data.

Graphite for Time Series Data

Graphite is specifically designed and optimized for time series data. It uses the Whisper database format, which efficiently stores and manages time series data by automatically aggregating and expiring data based on user-defined retention policies. Graphite supports a wide range of functions for querying, transforming, and aggregating time series data, enabling users to create custom graphs and dashboards. However, as Graphite focuses exclusively on time series data, it may not be suitable for other types of data or use cases that require more advanced data modeling or querying capabilities.


AWS DynamoDB Key Concepts

Some of the key terms and concepts specific to DynamoDB include:

  • Tables: In DynamoDB, data is stored in tables, which are containers for items. Each table has a primary key that uniquely identifies each item in the table.
  • Items: Items are individual records in a DynamoDB table, and they consist of one or more attributes.
  • Attributes: Attributes are key-value pairs that make up an item in a table. DynamoDB supports scalar, document, and set data types for attributes.
  • Primary Key: The primary key uniquely identifies each item in a table, and it can be either a single-attribute partition key or a composite partition-sort key.

Graphite Key Concepts

  • Metric: A metric in Graphite represents a time series data point, consisting of a path (name), timestamp, and value.
  • Series: A series is a collection of metrics that are all related to the same thing. For example, you might have a series for CPU usage, a series for memory usage, and a series for disk usage.
  • Whisper: Whisper is a fixed-size, file-based time series database format used by Graphite. It automatically manages data retention and aggregation.
  • Carbon: Carbon is the daemon responsible for receiving, caching, and storing metrics in Graphite. It listens for incoming metrics and writes them to Whisper files.
  • Graphite-web: Graphite-web is the web application that provides a user interface for visualizing and querying the stored time series data.


AWS DynamoDB Architecture

DynamoDB is a NoSQL database that uses a key-value store and document data model. It is designed to provide high availability, durability, and scalability by automatically partitioning data across multiple servers and using replication to ensure fault tolerance. Some of the main components of DynamoDB include:

  • Partitioning: DynamoDB automatically partitions data based on the partition key, which ensures that data is evenly distributed across multiple storage nodes.
  • Replication: DynamoDB replicates data across multiple availability zones within an AWS region, providing high availability and durability.
  • Consistency: DynamoDB offers two consistency models: eventual consistency and strong consistency, allowing you to choose the appropriate level of consistency for your application.

Graphite Architecture

Graphite’s architecture consists of several components, including Carbon, Whisper, and Graphite-web. Carbon is responsible for receiving metrics from various sources, caching them in memory, and storing them in Whisper files. Whisper is a file-based time series database format that efficiently manages data retention and aggregation. Graphite-web is the web application that provides a user interface for querying and visualizing the stored time series data. Graphite can be deployed on a single server or distributed across multiple servers for improved performance and scalability.

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AWS DynamoDB Features

Auto scaling

DynamoDB can automatically scale its read and write capacity based on the workload, allowing you to maintain consistent performance without over-provisioning resources.

Backup and restore

DynamoDB provides built-in support for point-in-time recovery, enabling you to restore your table to a previous state within the last 35 days.

Global tables

DynamoDB global tables enable you to replicate your table across multiple AWS regions, providing low-latency access and data redundancy for global applications.

Streams

DynamoDB Streams capture item-level modifications in your table and can be used to trigger AWS Lambda functions for real-time processing or to synchronize data with other AWS services.

Graphite Features

Real-time monitoring and visualization

Graphite provides real-time monitoring and visualization capabilities, allowing users to track and analyze their time series data as it is collected.

Flexible querying and aggregation functions

Graphite supports a wide range of functions for querying, transforming, and aggregating time series data, enabling users to create custom graphs and dashboards tailored to their specific needs.

Data retention and aggregation

Graphite’s Whisper database format automatically manages data retention and aggregation, reducing storage requirements and improving query performance.


AWS DynamoDB Use Cases

Session management

DynamoDB can be used to store session data for web applications, providing fast and scalable access to session information.

Gaming

DynamoDB can be used to store player data, game state, and other game-related information for online games, providing low-latency and high-throughput performance.

Internet of Things

DynamoDB can be used to store and process sensor data from IoT devices, enabling real-time monitoring and analysis of device data.

Graphite Use Cases

Application performance monitoring

Graphite is widely used for monitoring the performance of applications and services, helping developers and operations teams track key metrics, such as response times, error rates, and resource utilization. By visualizing these metrics in real-time, users can identify performance bottlenecks, detect issues, and optimize their applications for better performance and reliability.

Infrastructure and system monitoring

Graphite is also popular for monitoring the health and performance of servers, networks, and other infrastructure components. By collecting and analyzing metrics such as CPU usage, memory consumption, network latency, and disk I/O, IT administrators can ensure their infrastructure is running smoothly and proactively address potential issues before they impact system performance or availability.

Business analytics and metrics

In addition to technical monitoring, Graphite can be used for tracking and visualizing business-related metrics, such as user engagement, sales data, or marketing campaign performance. By visualizing and analyzing these metrics over time, business stakeholders can gain insights into trends, identify opportunities for growth, and make data-driven decisions to improve their operations.


AWS DynamoDB Pricing Model

DynamoDB offers two pricing options: provisioned capacity and on-demand capacity. With provisioned capacity, you specify the number of reads and writes per second that you expect your application to require, and you are charged based on the amount of provisioned capacity. This pricing model is suitable for applications with predictable traffic or gradually ramping traffic. You can use auto scaling to adjust your table’s capacity automatically based on the specified utilization rate, ensuring application performance while reducing costs.

On the other hand, with on-demand capacity, you pay per request for the data reads and writes your application performs on your tables. You do not need to specify how much read and write throughput you expect your application to perform, as DynamoDB instantly accommodates your workloads as they ramp up or down. This pricing model is suitable for applications with fluctuating or unpredictable traffic patterns.

Graphite Pricing Model

Graphite is an open-source project, and as such, it is freely available for users to download, install, and use without any licensing fees. However, users are responsible for setting up and maintaining their own Graphite infrastructure, which may involve costs related to server hardware, storage, and operational expenses. There are also several commercial products and services that build on top of or integrate with Graphite, offering additional features, support, or managed hosting options at varying price points.