Getting Started with Astra
Hello and welcome to getting started with Astra!
In this scenario, we will:
- Login to Astra
- Create a Cassandra database
Here are some common questions you might have about Astra (click on the question to see the answer):
What is Astra?
Astra is DataStax Cassandra-as-a-service offering. This means you can leverage the power of a Cassandra database, with none of the management hassles. Plus, Astra gives you tools like- Stargate - you get REST, GraphQL, Document and CQL APIs for your database tables
- DataStax Bulk Loader - to conveniently ingest data
- Metrics Dashboard - so you can monitor your database
Why do I need Astra?
Astra is an easy way to have a Cassandra database. Cassandra gives you a database that is scalable, always available and globally distributed - which is what today's apps require.Where can I find more info about Astra?
For more information, check out the Astra docs.How much does Astra cost?
Your get a monthly credit of $25, so you can try out Astra for free. When you want to use more resources, you can see the pricing here.This scenario is also available on our datastax.com/dev site, where you can find many more resources to help you succeed with Apache Cassandra™.
Congratulations! You've just completed the first step on the path to becoming an Astra database whiz!
In this quick scenario we've covered:
- Logging in to Astra
- Creating a Cassandra database
Visit other scenarios to see how to use your database!
Steps
Creating a Cassandra as a Service Database with Astra
Login and Create the Database
Here's a short two-minute video outlining what we are going to do here.
You can enlarge the video to full-screen by clicking in the bottom-right corner of the video.
The first step is to navigate to astra.datastax.com and login or sign up for an account!
Next, create a database as described in the video (you can also follow along in the Astra Docs).
- Click on the Create Database button in the top-left corner of the screen
- Within the Pay as you go box, click the Get Started button (don't worry - it won't cost anything)
- On the Create a Database screen, enter the Database name: betterbotz
- Also enter the Keyspace name: betterbotz
- Select your favorite cloud provider
- Select a region nearest your location
- Click the Create Database button on the right.
- When you see the Get Ready for Lift Off dialog, click the Continue button
It will take a few minutes for the database to initialize, but once the database is ready, you will receive an email and you will see the database status change to active.
