Cassandra Practice Test

What does the term "hotspotting" refer to in the context of data models?

1. Data being distributed evenly across nodes

2. Concentration of too much load on a single node

3. Temporary caching of frequently accessed data

4. Regular rotation of database partitions

The correct answer is: Concentration of too much load on a single node

The term "hotspotting" refers to the concentration of too much load on a single node in a distributed database system like Cassandra. When designing data models, it's crucial to ensure that the workload is balanced across all nodes in the cluster. Hotspotting occurs when certain partitions receive a disproportionate amount of reads or writes, causing that specific node to become a bottleneck. This leads to performance issues, such as increased latency and decreased throughput, as that node struggles to handle the excessive demand. In contrast, distributing data evenly across nodes is essential for optimizing performance and ensuring that no single node is overwhelmed. The concept of temporary caching pertains to optimizing access to frequently used data but does not directly relate to the issues of load distribution among nodes. Regular rotation of database partitions is also a different concept that deals with managing data growth and does not address the immediate concerns associated with hotspotting. Thus, recognizing and mitigating hotspotting is critical for maintaining the health and performance of a Cassandra database.