Apache Kudu

What Apache Kudu is

Apache Kudu is a free, open-source data storage engine for analytics on data that changes frequently. It combines fast inserts and updates with columnar scans, so one storage layer supports both changing records and analytical reads. Its tables use strongly typed columns and primary keys, allowing clients to read, update, or delete rows by key, with millisecond-scale access to individual rows. Kudu provides Java, C++, and Python APIs and commonly integrates with Apache Impala, Apache NiFi, Apache Spark SQL, and Presto. It runs on Linux and stores data in the Linux filesystem; ext4 and XFS are recommended for storage directories. Raft replicates tablet operations, and clients can use strict snapshot consistency. Security options include Kerberos authentication, TLS for authenticated internal connections, and fine-grained authorization through Apache Ranger policies. Kudu is self-hosted and is not designed for OLTP workloads. Its FAQ notes that it does not currently support automatic record deletion through a time-to-live property. The project points users to documentation, mailing lists, and its chat room for help.