Serverless database overview

Astra DB Serverless is a fully managed serverless database-as-a-service (DBaaS), powered by Apache Cassandra®, an open-source NoSQL distributed database.

Astra DB Serverless offers two types of serverless databases: Serverless (Vector) and Serverless (Non-Vector).

Serverless (Vector) databases	Designed for vector search applications, such as Generative AI (GenAI), semantic search, and geospatial search. Stores vector embeddings alongside non-vector tabular data. Auto-generate embeddings with vectorize. Ideal for Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG)-based applications, such as chatbots, agents, support bots, sentiment analysis, personalization, and multi-media search.
Serverless (Non-Vector) databases	Designed for generic applications, such as content management, user authentication, and transactional applications.

For more information, see Intro to Astra DB Serverless, Intro to vector databases, and Create a database.

Database terminology

Depending on your background and experience, you might be familiar with various terminology for database components. For example, Apache Cassandra® users might use terms like clusters, keyspaces, tables, and columns. Whereas other developers might use terms like namespaces, collections, documents, and fields to refer to functionally similar or identical components.

In Astra DB, the terminology you encounter depends on the database types and features that you use. The following table explains some of these terms. Each set of terms describe functionally similar components, but these components are not always exact equivalents. For example, a single field of vector data doesn’t necessarily translate directly to a single column of non-vector data.

Serverless (Vector) databases Serverless (Non-Vector) databases and CQL Description

Serverless (Vector) databases	Serverless (Non-Vector) databases and CQL	Description
Namespace	Keyspace	A container for one or more collections or tables within a database. The Astra Portal uses namespace in Serverless (Vector) databases and keyspace in Serverless (Non-Vector) databases. However, the name of the default namespace for each Serverless (Vector) database is `default_keyspace`. The Data API and clients for Astra DB Serverless use namespace. You can’t use the Data API to manage Serverless (Non-Vector) databases. For more information, see API reference overview and Databases reference.
Collection	Table	A container for data within a database. The Astra Portal uses collection in Serverless (Vector) databases and table in Serverless (Non-Vector) databases. The Data API and clients for Astra DB Serverless use collection. Although you can store non-vector data, including CQL table data, in a collection, the Astra Portal and Data API still use the terms collection and namespace. If you use CQL to `CREATE TABLE` in a namespace in a Serverless (Vector) database, the Astra Portal still uses the terms collection and namespace. However, if you use CQL to load data, you must continue to use CQL to manage that data. You can’t use the Data Explorer or the Data API to manage CQL data.
Document	Row	A piece of data, having one or more properties, stored in a collection or table in a database.
Field	Column	Properties or attributes of data, such as vector dimensions or IDs.

Namespace

Keyspace

A container for one or more collections or tables within a database.

The Astra Portal uses namespace in Serverless (Vector) databases and keyspace in Serverless (Non-Vector) databases. However, the name of the default namespace for each Serverless (Vector) database is default_keyspace.

The Data API and clients for Astra DB Serverless use namespace. You can’t use the Data API to manage Serverless (Non-Vector) databases. For more information, see API reference overview and Databases reference.

Collection

Table

A container for data within a database.

The Astra Portal uses collection in Serverless (Vector) databases and table in Serverless (Non-Vector) databases.

The Data API and clients for Astra DB Serverless use collection.

Although you can store non-vector data, including CQL table data, in a collection, the Astra Portal and Data API still use the terms collection and namespace.

If you use CQL to CREATE TABLE in a namespace in a Serverless (Vector) database, the Astra Portal still uses the terms collection and namespace. However, if you use CQL to load data, you must continue to use CQL to manage that data. You can’t use the Data Explorer or the Data API to manage CQL data.

Document

Row

A piece of data, having one or more properties, stored in a collection or table in a database.

Field

Column

Properties or attributes of data, such as vector dimensions or IDs.

Cloud providers

Astra DB Serverless supports multiple regions across Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure. Availability, pricing, and database types vary by region.

Regions with an asterisk (*) are restricted to approved customers. To request access to a restricted region, contact your Account Manager.

Amazon Web Services

Americas
Asia Pacific
Europe, Middle East, and Africa

Region Location Serverless (Non-Vector) support Serverless (Vector) support Pricing

Region	Location	Serverless (Non-Vector) support	Serverless (Vector) support	Pricing
`ca-central-1`	Montréal	check^*		Standard
`sa-east-1`	São Paulo	check^*		Premium Plus
`us-east-1`	Virginia	check		Standard
`us-east-2`	Ohio	check	check	Standard
`us-west-2`	Oregon	check		Standard

ca-central-1

Montréal

check^*

Standard

sa-east-1

São Paulo

check^*

Premium Plus

us-east-1

Virginia

check

Standard

us-east-2

Ohio

check

Standard

us-west-2

Oregon

check

Standard

Region Location Serverless (Non-Vector) support Serverless (Vector) support Pricing

Region	Location	Serverless (Non-Vector) support	Serverless (Vector) support	Pricing
`ap-east-1`	Hong Kong	check^*		Premium
`ap-south-1`	Mumbai	check^*	check	Standard
`ap-southeast-1`	Singapore	check		Standard
`ap-southeast-2`	Sydney	check^*		Premium

ap-east-1

Hong Kong

check^*

Premium

ap-south-1

Mumbai

check^*

check

Standard

ap-southeast-1

Singapore

check

Standard

ap-southeast-2

Sydney

check^*

Premium

Region Location Serverless (Non-Vector) support Serverless (Vector) support Pricing

Region	Location	Serverless (Non-Vector) support	Serverless (Vector) support	Pricing
`eu-central-1`	Frankfurt	check		Standard
`eu-west-1`	Ireland	check	check	Standard
`eu-west-2`	London	check^*		Standard
`me-central-1`	UAE	check^*		Standard

eu-central-1

Frankfurt

check

Standard

eu-west-1

Ireland

check

Standard

eu-west-2

London

check^*

Standard

me-central-1

UAE

check^*

Standard

DataStax adds new regions based on customer demand. If your preferred region isn’t listed here, you can submit a support ticket or send us a message through live chat in the Astra Portal.

Google Cloud

Americas
Asia Pacific
Europe, Middle East, and Africa

Region Location Serverless (Non-Vector) support Serverless (Vector) support Pricing

Region	Location	Serverless (Non-Vector) support	Serverless (Vector) support	Pricing
`northamerica-northeast1`	Montréal, Québec	check	check^*	Standard
`northamerica-northeast2`	Toronto, Ontario	check^*		Standard
`us-central1`	Council Bluffs, Iowa	check		Standard
`us-east1`	Moncks Corner, South Carolina	check	check	Standard
`us-east4`	Ashburn, Virginia	check	check^*	Standard
`us-west1`	The Dalles, Oregon	check		Standard
`us-west4`	Las Vegas, Nevada	check		Standard

northamerica-northeast1

Montréal, Québec

check

check^*

Standard

northamerica-northeast2

Toronto, Ontario

check^*

Standard

us-central1

Council Bluffs, Iowa

check

Standard

us-east1

Moncks Corner, South Carolina

check

Standard

us-east4

Ashburn, Virginia

check

check^*

Standard

us-west1

The Dalles, Oregon

check

Standard

us-west4

Las Vegas, Nevada

check

Standard

Region Location Serverless (Non-Vector) support Serverless (Vector) support Pricing

Region	Location	Serverless (Non-Vector) support	Pricing
`asia-northeast1`	Tokyo, Japan	check^*	Standard
`asia-northeast2`	Osaka, Japan	check^*	Standard
`asia-south1`	Mumbai, India	check	Standard
`australia-southeast1`	Sydney, Australia	check	Premium

asia-northeast1

Tokyo, Japan

check^*

Standard

asia-northeast2

Osaka, Japan

check^*

Standard

asia-south1

Mumbai, India

check

Standard

australia-southeast1

Sydney, Australia

check

Premium

Region Location Serverless (Non-Vector) support Serverless (Vector) support Pricing

Region	Location	Serverless (Non-Vector) support	Serverless (Vector) support	Pricing
`europe-west1`	St. Ghislain, Belgium	check^*		Standard
`europe-west2`	London, England	check	check^*	Premium
`europe-west3`	Frankfurt, Germany	check^*		Standard
`europe-west4`	Eemshaven, Netherlands	check^*		Premium

europe-west1

St. Ghislain, Belgium

check^*

Standard

europe-west2

London, England

check

check^*

Premium

europe-west3

Frankfurt, Germany

check^*

Standard

europe-west4

Eemshaven, Netherlands

check^*

Premium

DataStax adds new regions based on customer demand. If your preferred region isn’t listed here, you can submit a support ticket or send us a message through live chat in the Astra Portal.

Microsoft Azure

Americas
Asia Pacific
Europe, Middle East, and Africa

Region Location Serverless (Non-Vector) support Serverless (Vector) support Pricing

Region	Location	Serverless (Non-Vector) support	Serverless (Vector) support	Pricing
`brazilsouth`	Sao Paulo	check^*		Premium Plus
`canadacentral`	Toronto	check		Standard
`centralus`	Iowa	check^*		Standard
`eastus`	Virginia	check		Standard
`eastus2`	Virginia	check^*		Standard
`westus2`	Washington	check		Standard
`westus3`	Arizona	check	check	Premium

brazilsouth

Sao Paulo

check^*

Premium Plus

canadacentral

Toronto

check

Standard

centralus

Iowa

check^*

Standard

eastus

Virginia

check

Standard

eastus2

Virginia

check^*

Standard

westus2

Washington

check

Standard

westus3

Arizona

check

Premium

Region Location Serverless (Non-Vector) support Serverless (Vector) support Pricing

Region	Location	Serverless (Non-Vector) support	Serverless (Vector) support	Pricing
`australiaeast`	New South Wales	check^*	check^*	Premium
`centralindia`	Pune	check^*	check^*	Standard

australiaeast

New South Wales

check^*

Premium

centralindia

Pune

check^*

Standard

Region Location Serverless (Non-Vector) support Serverless (Vector) support Pricing

Region	Location	Serverless (Non-Vector) support	Serverless (Vector) support	Pricing
`germanywestcentral`	Frankfurt		check^*	Standard
`northeurope`	Ireland	check^*		Standard
`westeurope`	Netherlands	check		Standard

germanywestcentral

Frankfurt

check^*

Standard

northeurope

Ireland

check^*

Standard

westeurope

Netherlands

check

Standard

DataStax adds new regions based on customer demand. If your preferred region isn’t listed here, you can submit a support ticket or send us a message through live chat in the Astra Portal.

Serverless database overview

Database terminology

Cloud providers

Amazon Web Services

Google Cloud

Microsoft Azure

See also

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