Astra DB FAQs

Frequently asked questions about Astra DB Classic.

How is Astra DB different from DSE?

While you can run DataStax Enterprise (DSE) both on-premises and in the cloud, Astra DB allows you to create databases in minutes, with reduced complexity, fewer operational concerns, and an approachable entry point for developing your applications. Astra DB is a true database-as-a-service (DBaaS) offering that provides simplified database management with flexible pricing.

DSE includes Advanced Workloads (DSE Search, Analytics, and Graph), which are not available in Astra DB.

Which version of Apache Cassandra® is compatible with Astra DB?

Cassandra version 3.11 is compatible with Astra DB databases.

Can I use cfstats or nodetool?

No, Astra DB is a zero-operations database-as-a-service (DBaaS) offering. Some operational Cassandra tools are not relevant to Astra DB. For more information, see Astra DB Classic database limits.

DataStax offer access to a limited set of database health metrics.

Databases

Which cloud regions are currently available for Classic databases?

Astra DB supports single-region and multi-region deployments. The available Classic regions vary based on the selected cloud provider and more are added over time. Within a region, data is replicated across three availability zones to ensure high availability.

How do I connect to Astra DB databases?

Options Description

I want to start using my database now with APIs.

Use the Stargate APIs on Astra to interact with your database and self manage the schema.

The legacy Stargate APIs are deprecated for Astra DB Classic as of September 2024, and end-of-life (EOL) is scheduled for the end of 2025. As EOL approaches, DataStax will provide migration information to support your transition to other options.

If you have questions or concerns, contact your account representative or DataStax Support.

I have an application and want to use the DataStax drivers.

Initialize one of the DataStax drivers to manage database connections for your application.

I know CQL and want to connect quickly to use my database.

Use the CQL shell to interact with your database.

What are considered Recent Resources?

Recent Resources includes the five most recent databases and streaming tenants resources used by someone in your organization.

Where can I find my organization ID?

To learn how to get your Astra DB organization ID, see Get your organization ID.

Where can I find my database ID?

To learn how to get database IDs, see Get your database ID.

What is the practical limit for the amount of data stored in an Astra DB database?

There is no practical limit to the number of bytes an Astra DB database can store.

Can I change a keyspace name?

No, you cannot alter the keyspace name. You can create an entire new keyspace with a different name.

What if my CSV file is too large for the Data Loader?

If the file is over 40MB, you can upload data with the DSBulk Loader.

CQL

How do I navigate to a CQL shell?

In the Astra Portal, go to Databases, click your Astra DB Classic database, and then click CQL Console.

How do I delete a keyspace?

We do not allow users to delete the last keyspace to avoid accidental deletion of data. This is the error you will see in the CQL shell:

token@cqlsh> drop keyspace test_db;
Unauthorized: Error from server: code=2100 [Unauthorized] message="Missing correct permission on test_db."

To avoid any storage costs associated with the keyspace, you can drop tables from the keyspace by running:

drop table <keyspace_name>

How can I fix a "Missing Correct Permission Error"?

A permission error occurs for two reasons:

token@cqlsh> select * from test_db.data
Unauthorized: Error from server: code=2100 [Unauthorized] message="No SELECT permission on <table test_db.data>"

I created a table in the Astra Portal, but when I run a select statement, I get an error.

This is the error: Invalid Request: Error from server: code=2200 [Invalid query] message="table TABLE_NAME does not exist"

When you upload a table through Astra Portal, any table name, keyspace name, or column name with case-sensitive characters can be accessed by using double quotes.

For example, see the select statement below:

token@cqlsh:test> desc tables;
token@cqlsh:test> select * from "Case_Sensitive";

Security

Can I use strict security settings, such as an ad blocker, with Astra DB?

If you are using strict security settings in your web browser, you might not see everything in Astra Portal, such as messages and certainly functionalities that simplify your experience.

What measures are taken to protect data in Astra DB Classic?

Because security is a priority for all modern cloud applications, DataStax has implemented several protocols to ensure security remains a priority.

Astra DB is secured by default, including encryption over the wire and at rest. Astra DB instances are SOC2 Type2-compliant.

For details on Astra DB security, see the Astra DB Security Whitepaper.

Is VPC peering possible for Classic databases?

VPC peering is available on only Astra DB Classic databases on workload tiers C and D. For more, see AWS VPC peering, GCP VPC peering, and Azure VPC peering.

What is the range of ports available for Astra DB databases?

The port range is 29000-32767.

Some Astra DB APIs and the Astra DB Health dashboard also require port 443.

Billing

What happens when my monthly credit runs out?

You are prompted to add a credit card when your credit limit is running low. You also receive this notification by email and in Astra Portal.

If your application uses all $25 in credit, the database temporarily pauses until you add a credit card to re-start the database. Alternatively, you can wait until the next month for the $25 credit to reload.

Unused credits do not roll over. Free monthly credits refresh on the first of every month for each organization on the Free plan. For more information, see Subscriptions and billing.

Support

How do I get help with Astra DB Classic?

How do I contact DataStax Support?

Your subscription or support plan can offer additional access to DataStax Support resources in the Astra Portal:

  • Use Intercom chat.

  • Submit a ticket:

    1. In the Astra Portal header, click your profile picture, and then click Help Center.

      In the Help Center pane, you can browse documentation for common help topics.

    2. To create a support ticket, click Contact Support.

  • Schedule a support session:

    1. In the Astra Portal header, click your profile picture, and then click Help Center.

    2. In the Help Center pane, click Schedule Session, and then select your preferred date and time.

      DataStax recommends support sessions for critical or sensitive situations that require direct attention, such as production system crashes, production system indefinite suspensions, and complete loss of service or inability to continue with regular operations for an unknown reason.

How do I check the status of the Astra DB platform?

The DataStax Astra System Status dashboard shows daily incident and uptime history for the Astra DB platform.

To subscribe to Astra platform status notifications, click Subscribe To Updates.

How do I check the health of my databases?

To check the status and health of your databases, see Monitor database metrics and Database statuses.

For information about database usage and billing, see Subscriptions and billing.

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