Confluent is unveiling ksqlDB, a new database built atop Kafka, reducing the complexity for developers looking to build real-world stream processing applications.
There are two key new features that ksqlDB exposes to Kafka developers:
- The ability to perform a “pull query,” which is differentiated from the “push queries” that Kafka clusters traditionally have been constantly streaming out. This is critical when developers need to query the state of something. ksqlDB uses RocksDB, a fast key-value store developed by Rockset.
- The ability to reach out to other databases and storage systems to access data. This was done by enabling Kafka Connect connectors to work with the new RocksDB-based query engine that Confluent is exposing.
ksqlDB is the successor to KSQL, according to Confluent. With ksqlDB, Confluent is making the argument that it’s re-assembling the various pieces of database architecture that had previously been broken up.
ksqlDB may be Confluent’s new approach for building streaming applications, including real-time systems like the one that powers Lyft’s ride-sharing application and other similar applications.
Building these types of systems typically requires cobbling together many disparate systems, and Confluent is betting it will garner support in the developer community by alleviating some of the technical burden by consolidating these functions into its tools.
For more information about this news, visit www.confluent.io.