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Cassandra is a popular NoSQL database that is designed for large scale data storage and retrieval. One of the key factors that make Cassandra a great choice for large data sets is its partitioning strategy. Partitioning helps to distribute the data evenly across multiple nodes and avoid hotspots, which can result in performance degradation. Here are some thumb rules that can help you design a good Cassandra partition:

  • Choose the right partition key
  • Store together what you retrieve together
  • Make use of clustering columns
  • Avoid big partitions
    • Up to 2 billion cells per partition
    • Up to ~100k rows in a partition
    • Up to ~100MB in a partition
  • Avoid hot partitions
  • Monitor your partitions using tools like nodetool to monitor the data distribution and identify any potential issues.

By following these thumb rules, you can design a good Cassandra partition that will provide fast and reliable data retrieval while avoiding hotspots and performance degradation. With a well-designed partition, you can ensure that your Cassandra cluster is able to handle large data sets and provide fast and efficient data retrieval.