This document provides an introduction and overview of Cassandra including:
- Cassandra's history as a NoSQL database created at Facebook and open sourced in 2008.
- Key features of Cassandra including linear scalability, continuous availability, ability to span multiple data centers, and operational simplicity.
- A high-level overview of Cassandra's architecture including its use of Dynamo and BigTable papers for the cluster and data storage layers.
- Concepts related to Cassandra's data model including data distribution, token ranges, replication, write path, and "last write wins" consistency.