Azure Data Explorer vs Apache Doris
A detailed comparison
Compare Azure Data Explorer and Apache Doris for time series and OLAP workloads
Learn About Time Series DatabasesChoosing the right database is a critical choice when building any software application. All databases have different strengths and weaknesses when it comes to performance, so deciding which database has the most benefits and the most minor downsides for your specific use case and data model is an important decision. Below you will find an overview of the key concepts, architecture, features, use cases, and pricing models of Azure Data Explorer and Apache Doris so you can quickly see how they compare against each other.
The primary purpose of this article is to compare how Azure Data Explorer and Apache Doris perform for workloads involving time series data, not for all possible use cases. Time series data typically presents a unique challenge in terms of database performance. This is due to the high volume of data being written and the query patterns to access that data. This article doesn’t intend to make the case for which database is better; it simply provides an overview of each database so you can make an informed decision.
Azure Data Explorer vs Apache Doris Breakdown
 |
 |
|
| Database Model | Columnar database |
Data warehouse |
| Architecture | ADX can be deployed in the Azure cloud as a managed service and is easily integrated with other Azure services and tools for seamless data processing and analytics. |
Doris can be deployed on-premises or in the cloud and is compatible with various data formats such as Parquet, ORC, and JSON. |
| License | Closed source |
Apache 2.0 |
| Use Cases | Log and telemetry data analysis, real-time analytics, security and compliance analysis, IoT data processing |
Interactive analytics, data warehousing, real-time data analysis, reporting, dashboarding |
| Scalability | Highly scalable with support for horizontal scaling, sharding, and partitioning |
Horizontally scalable with distributed storage and compute |
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Azure Data Explorer Overview
Azure Data Explorer is a cloud-based, fully managed, big data analytics platform offered as part of the Microsoft Azure platform. It was announced by Microsoft in 2018 and is available as a PaaS offering. Azure Data Explorer provides high-performance capabilities for ingesting and querying telemetry, logs, and time series data.
Apache Doris Overview
Apache Doris is an MPP-based interactive SQL data warehousing system designed for reporting and analysis. It is known for its high performance, real-time analytics capabilities, and ease of use. Apache Doris integrates technologies from Google Mesa and Apache Impala. Unlike other SQL-on-Hadoop systems, Doris is designed to be a simple and tightly coupled system that does not rely on external dependencies. It aims to provide a streamlined and efficient solution for data warehousing and analytics.
Azure Data Explorer for Time Series Data
Azure Data Explorer is well-suited for handling time series data. Its high-performance capabilities and ability to ingest large volumes of data make it suitable for analyzing and querying time series data in near real-time. With its advanced query operators, such as calculated columns, searching and filtering on rows, group by-aggregates, and joins, Azure Data Explorer enables efficient analysis of time series data. Its scalable architecture and distributed nature ensure that it can handle the velocity and volume requirements of time series data effectively.
Apache Doris for Time Series Data
Apache Doris can be effectively used with time series data for real-time analytics and reporting. With its high performance and sub-second response time, Doris can handle massive amounts of time-stamped data and provide timely query results. It supports both high-concurrent point query scenarios and high-throughput complex analysis scenarios, making it suitable for analyzing time series data with varying levels of complexity.
Azure Data Explorer Key Concepts
- Relational Data Model: Azure Data Explorer is a distributed database based on relational database management systems. It supports entities such as databases, tables, functions, and columns. Unlike traditional RDBMS, Azure Data Explorer does not enforce constraints like key uniqueness, primary keys, or foreign keys. Instead, the necessary relationships are established at query time.
- Kusto Query Language (KQL): Azure Data Explorer uses KQL, a powerful and expressive query language, to enable users to explore and analyze their data with ease.
- Extents: In Azure Data Explorer, data is organized into units called extents, which are immutable, compressed sets of records that can be efficiently stored and queried.
Apache Doris Key Concepts
- MPP (Massively Parallel Processing): Apache Doris leverages MPP architecture, which allows it to distribute data processing across multiple nodes, enabling parallel execution and scalability.
- SQL: Apache Doris supports SQL as the query language, providing a familiar and powerful interface for data analysis and reporting.
- Point Query: Point query refers to retrieving a specific data point or a small subset of data from the database.
- Complex Analysis: Apache Doris can handle complex analysis scenarios that involve processing large volumes of data and performing advanced computations and aggregations.
Azure Data Explorer Architecture
Azure Data Explorer is built on a cloud-native, distributed architecture that supports both NoSQL and SQL-like querying capabilities. It is a columnar storage-based database that leverages compressed, immutable data extents for efficient storage and retrieval. The core components of Azure Data Explorer’s architecture include the Control Plane, Data Management, and Query Processing. The Control Plane is responsible for managing resources and metadata, while the Data Management component handles data ingestion and organization. Query Processing is responsible for executing queries and returning results to users.
Apache Doris Architecture
Apache Doris is based on MPP architecture, which enables it to distribute data and processing across multiple nodes for parallel execution. It is a standalone system and does not depend on other systems or frameworks. Apache Doris combines the technology of Google Mesa and Apache Impala to provide a simple and tightly coupled system for data warehousing and analytics. It leverages SQL as the query language and supports efficient data processing and query optimization techniques to ensure high performance and scalability.
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Azure Data Explorer Features
High-performance data ingestion
Azure Data Explorer can ingest data at a rate of 200 MB per second per node, offering fast and efficient data ingestion capabilities.
Data visualization
Azure Data Explorer integrates seamlessly with popular data visualization tools like Power BI, Grafana, and Jupyter Notebooks, allowing users to easily visualize and analyze their data.
Advanced analytics
The Kusto Query Language (KQL) supports advanced analytics features such as time series analysis, pattern recognition, and anomaly detection, enabling users to gain deeper insights from their data.
Flexible schema
Unlike traditional relational databases, Azure Data Explorer does not enforce constraints like key uniqueness, primary keys, or foreign keys. This flexibility allows for dynamic schema changes and the ability to handle semi-structured and unstructured data.
Apache Doris Features
High Performance
Apache Doris is designed for high-performance data analytics, delivering sub-second query response times even with massive amounts of data.
Real-Time Analytics
Apache Doris enables real-time data analysis, allowing users to gain insights and make informed decisions based on up-to-date information.
Scalability
Apache Doris can scale horizontally by adding more nodes to the cluster, allowing for increased data storage and processing capacity.
Azure Data Explorer Use Cases
Log analytics
Azure Data Explorer is commonly used for log analytics, where it can ingest, store, and analyze large volumes of log data generated by applications, servers, and infrastructure. Organizations can use Azure Data Explorer to monitor application performance, troubleshoot issues, detect anomalies, and gain insights into user behavior. The ability to analyze log data in near real-time enables proactive issue resolution and improved operational efficiency.
Telemetry analytics
Azure Data Explorer is well-suited for telemetry analytics, where it can process and analyze data generated by IoT devices, sensors, and applications. Organizations can use Azure Data Explorer to monitor device health, optimize resource utilization, and detect anomalies in telemetry data. The platform’s scalability and high-performance capabilities make it ideal for handling the large volumes of data generated by IoT devices.
Time series analysis
Azure Data Explorer is used for time series analysis, where it can ingest and analyze time-stamped data points collected over time. This use case is applicable in various industries, including finance, healthcare, manufacturing, and energy. Organizations can use Azure Data Explorer to analyze trends, detect patterns, and forecast future events based on historical time series data. The platform’s advanced query operators and real-time analysis capabilities enable organizations to derive valuable insights from time series data.
Apache Doris Use Cases
Real-Time Analytics
Apache Doris is well-suited for real-time analytics scenarios where timely insights and analysis of large volumes of data are crucial. It enables businesses to monitor and analyze real-time data streams, make data-driven decisions, and detect patterns or anomalies in real time.
Reporting and Business Intelligence
Apache Doris can be used for generating reports and conducting business intelligence activities. It supports fast and efficient querying of data, allowing users to extract meaningful insights and visualize data for reporting and analysis purposes.
Data Warehousing
Apache Doris is suitable for building data warehousing solutions that require high-performance analytics and querying capabilities. It provides a scalable and efficient platform for storing, managing, and analyzing large volumes of data for reporting and decision-making.
Azure Data Explorer Pricing Model
Azure Data Explorer’s pricing model is based on a pay-as-you-go approach, where customers are billed based on their usage of the service. The pricing is determined by factors such as the amount of data ingested, the amount of data stored, and the number of queries executed. Additionally, customers can choose between different pricing tiers that offer varying levels of performance and features. Azure Data Explorer also provides options for reserved capacity, which allows customers to reserve resources for a fixed period of time at a discounted rate.
Apache Doris Pricing Model
As an open-source project, Apache Doris is freely available for usage and does not require any licensing fees. Users can download the source code and set up Apache Doris on their own infrastructure without incurring any direct costs. However, it’s important to consider the operational costs associated with hosting and maintaining the database infrastructure.
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