SlideShare a Scribd company logo
ScyllaDB as a DynamoDB
Alternative
Felipe Cardeneti Mendes
Felipe Cardeneti Mendes
● Technical Director at ScyllaDB
● Linux and Open Source enthusiast
● ScyllaDB Passionate
ScyllaDB and
DynamoDB
When is ScyllaDB an overkill?
■ ScyllaDB is a distributed leaderless database
○ 3 nodes at least
○ NVMe flash storage:
■ Faster
■ Less Expensive than EBS
■ Primary dimensions to watch out:
○ Low Throughput – Infrastructure underutilization;
○ Storage Growth – High density tables → Infrastructure overhead
■ Did you know DynamoDB charges you for RAW uncompressed data? :-)
■ Secondary dimensions:
○ Dependency on AWS ecosystem – Requires considerable refactoring effort
○ Feature set – Expiration Events, Accounting/Capping, Multi-item transactions
Comparison
Overview (and gotchas)
ScyllaDB Specific Considerations (and Features)
■ Workload Prioritization
○ Helps with workload consolidation
○ Adaptability to Changing Conditions
○ Addresses the "too many tables" problem
■ Excess capacity is shared
■ Enhanced infrastructure utilization
ScyllaDB Specific Considerations (and Features)
■ Specialized Cache
○ Read-through – No consistency
concerns
○ Built-in
○ Simplified operations
ScyllaDB Specific Considerations (and Features)
■ Elasticity
○ Tablets are here! :-)
○ Still no "autoscaling" – but easily
achievable
○ Instant request serving
DynamoDB: When to
Move Out?
Reason 1: You Keep Throwing Money at it
You know how much you pay, very little about why?
■ Writes are considerably more expensive than Reads
■ Single table design → More indexes → Higher price/ops
■ Global Tables, Dynamo Streams, S3, DAX, Streams… Woot!
Reason 2: Throttling
Also known as ProvisionedThroughputExceededException:
■ Force you to back-off, introducing a latency penalty
■ Far easy to hit
■ Non-tunable load shedding mechanics
Reason 3: You know what DAX stands for
… and now you have two different animals to manage! :-)
■ Doesn't sustain single-digit millisecond latencies at scale
■ Cache helps, but comes with its own nuances:
○ Write to DDB → Read from cache → Stale read!
○ Writes are still synchronous
○ No tightly coupling: Strongly consistent reads still require Dynamo
■ Adds latency!
Reason 4: Limits, Troubleshooting & Observability
Common blockers:
■ 400KB Item size limit
■ Local Secondary Indexes require… Re-creating the table?
■ Developer Flexibility: DynamoDB Local?
■ Little integration off AWS ecosystem
■ Single-table organization & Querying inflexibility
Reason 5: Auto-scaling
No silver bullet, and still requires thorough planning:
■ Avoids provisioning for peak capacity, BUT;
■ Works best for gradual increases or decreases in traffic
■ Burst capacity handles occasional spikes
AWS DynamoDB Auto Scaling is not a magic bullet
DynamoDB: How to
Move Out?
Query Language
Supported protocols:
■ CQL – Binary protocol
○ Native load balancing
○ Parallel Request Multiplexing
○ Prepared statements, token/shard awareness…
■ DynamoDB API – JSON over HTTP(S)
○ Requires a load balancer
○ Drivers tend to need to open more connections
○ No notion of prepared statements nor consistent hashing
Migration Nutshell
Client
Writes / Reads
Enable DynamoDB
Streams
Reads Writes
Consume Changes
Sync Changes
Writes / Reads
ScyllaDB Migrator
What Else?
Keep in touch!
Felipe Mendes
Technical Director
ScyllaDB
felipemendes@scylladb.com
LinkedIn

More Related Content

PDF
Use ScyllaDB Alternator to Use Amazon DynamoDB API, Everywhere, Better, More ...
PPTX
DynamoDB to ScyllaDB: Technical Comparison and the Path to Success
PDF
Exploring ScyllaDB’s DynamoDB-Compatible API by Guilherme Nogueira & Nadav Ha...
PDF
Moving from DynamoDB to ScyllaDB: Technical Comparison and the Path to Success
PDF
Introducing Project Alternator - Scylla’s Open-Source DynamoDB-compatible API
PDF
Alternator webinar september 2019
PDF
Understanding The True Cost of DynamoDB Webinar
PDF
How Yieldmo Cut Database Costs and Cloud Dependencies Fast by Todd Coleman
Use ScyllaDB Alternator to Use Amazon DynamoDB API, Everywhere, Better, More ...
DynamoDB to ScyllaDB: Technical Comparison and the Path to Success
Exploring ScyllaDB’s DynamoDB-Compatible API by Guilherme Nogueira & Nadav Ha...
Moving from DynamoDB to ScyllaDB: Technical Comparison and the Path to Success
Introducing Project Alternator - Scylla’s Open-Source DynamoDB-compatible API
Alternator webinar september 2019
Understanding The True Cost of DynamoDB Webinar
How Yieldmo Cut Database Costs and Cloud Dependencies Fast by Todd Coleman

Similar to DynamoDB Cost Optimization Masterclass: ScyllaDB as a DynamoDB Alternative (20)

PDF
Build DynamoDB-Compatible Apps with Python
PDF
ScyllaDB Virtual Workshop
PPTX
Radically Outperforming DynamoDB @ Digital Turbine with SADA and Google Cloud
PDF
How Development Teams Cut Costs with ScyllaDB.pdf
PDF
Using ScyllaDB for Extreme Scale Workloads
PPTX
Free & Open DynamoDB API for Everyone
PDF
Running a Cost-Effective DynamoDB-Compatible Database on Managed Kubernetes S...
PDF
ScyllaDB Virtual Workshop: Getting Started with ScyllaDB 2024
PDF
Scylla Summit 2022: ScyllaDB Cloud: Simplifying Deployment to the Public Cloud
PDF
New Ways to Reduce Database Costs with ScyllaDB
PPTX
Why We Chose ScyllaDB over DynamoDB for "User Watch Status"
PDF
Recent ScyllaDB Cloud Highlights and Future Roadmap by Michael Hollander & Iv...
PDF
5 Factors When Selecting a High Performance, Low Latency Database
PDF
Reduce Your Cloud Spend with ScyllaDB by Tzach Livyatan
PDF
Developer Data Modeling Mistakes: From Postgres to NoSQL
PDF
Using ScyllaDB for Real-Time Write-Heavy Workloads
PDF
Scylla Summit 2022: How ScyllaDB Powers This Next Tech Cycle
PPTX
Replacing Your Cache with ScyllaDB
PPTX
MongoDB vs Scylla: Production Experience from Both Dev & Ops Standpoint at Nu...
PDF
Replacing Your Cache with ScyllaDB by Felipe Cardeneti Mendes and Tomasz Grabiec
Build DynamoDB-Compatible Apps with Python
ScyllaDB Virtual Workshop
Radically Outperforming DynamoDB @ Digital Turbine with SADA and Google Cloud
How Development Teams Cut Costs with ScyllaDB.pdf
Using ScyllaDB for Extreme Scale Workloads
Free & Open DynamoDB API for Everyone
Running a Cost-Effective DynamoDB-Compatible Database on Managed Kubernetes S...
ScyllaDB Virtual Workshop: Getting Started with ScyllaDB 2024
Scylla Summit 2022: ScyllaDB Cloud: Simplifying Deployment to the Public Cloud
New Ways to Reduce Database Costs with ScyllaDB
Why We Chose ScyllaDB over DynamoDB for "User Watch Status"
Recent ScyllaDB Cloud Highlights and Future Roadmap by Michael Hollander & Iv...
5 Factors When Selecting a High Performance, Low Latency Database
Reduce Your Cloud Spend with ScyllaDB by Tzach Livyatan
Developer Data Modeling Mistakes: From Postgres to NoSQL
Using ScyllaDB for Real-Time Write-Heavy Workloads
Scylla Summit 2022: How ScyllaDB Powers This Next Tech Cycle
Replacing Your Cache with ScyllaDB
MongoDB vs Scylla: Production Experience from Both Dev & Ops Standpoint at Nu...
Replacing Your Cache with ScyllaDB by Felipe Cardeneti Mendes and Tomasz Grabiec
Ad

More from ScyllaDB (20)

PDF
Database Benchmarking for Performance Masterclass: Session 2 - Data Modeling ...
PDF
Database Benchmarking for Performance Masterclass: Session 1 - Benchmarking F...
PDF
Designing Low-Latency Systems with Rust and ScyllaDB: An Architectural Deep Dive
PDF
Powering a Billion Dreams: Scaling Meesho’s E-commerce Revolution with Scylla...
PDF
Leading a High-Stakes Database Migration
PDF
Achieving Extreme Scale with ScyllaDB: Tips & Tradeoffs
PDF
Securely Serving Millions of Boot Artifacts a Day by João Pedro Lima & Matt ...
PDF
How Agoda Scaled 50x Throughput with ScyllaDB by Worakarn Isaratham
PDF
ScyllaDB: 10 Years and Beyond by Dor Laor
PDF
Migrating 50TB Data From a Home-Grown Database to ScyllaDB, Fast by Terence Liu
PDF
Vector Search with ScyllaDB by Szymon Wasik
PDF
Workload Prioritization: How to Balance Multiple Workloads in a Cluster by Fe...
PDF
Two Leading Approaches to Data Virtualization, and Which Scales Better? by Da...
PDF
Scaling a Beast: Lessons from 400x Growth in a High-Stakes Financial System b...
PDF
Object Storage in ScyllaDB by Ran Regev, ScyllaDB
PDF
Lessons Learned from Building a Serverless Notifications System by Srushith R...
PDF
A Dist Sys Programmer's Journey into AI by Piotr Sarna
PDF
High Availability: Lessons Learned by Paul Preuveneers
PDF
How Natura Uses ScyllaDB and ScyllaDB Connector to Create a Real-time Data Pi...
PDF
Persistence Pipelines in a Processing Graph: Mutable Big Data at Salesforce b...
Database Benchmarking for Performance Masterclass: Session 2 - Data Modeling ...
Database Benchmarking for Performance Masterclass: Session 1 - Benchmarking F...
Designing Low-Latency Systems with Rust and ScyllaDB: An Architectural Deep Dive
Powering a Billion Dreams: Scaling Meesho’s E-commerce Revolution with Scylla...
Leading a High-Stakes Database Migration
Achieving Extreme Scale with ScyllaDB: Tips & Tradeoffs
Securely Serving Millions of Boot Artifacts a Day by João Pedro Lima & Matt ...
How Agoda Scaled 50x Throughput with ScyllaDB by Worakarn Isaratham
ScyllaDB: 10 Years and Beyond by Dor Laor
Migrating 50TB Data From a Home-Grown Database to ScyllaDB, Fast by Terence Liu
Vector Search with ScyllaDB by Szymon Wasik
Workload Prioritization: How to Balance Multiple Workloads in a Cluster by Fe...
Two Leading Approaches to Data Virtualization, and Which Scales Better? by Da...
Scaling a Beast: Lessons from 400x Growth in a High-Stakes Financial System b...
Object Storage in ScyllaDB by Ran Regev, ScyllaDB
Lessons Learned from Building a Serverless Notifications System by Srushith R...
A Dist Sys Programmer's Journey into AI by Piotr Sarna
High Availability: Lessons Learned by Paul Preuveneers
How Natura Uses ScyllaDB and ScyllaDB Connector to Create a Real-time Data Pi...
Persistence Pipelines in a Processing Graph: Mutable Big Data at Salesforce b...
Ad

Recently uploaded (20)

PDF
Architecting across the Boundaries of two Complex Domains - Healthcare & Tech...
PDF
cuic standard and advanced reporting.pdf
PDF
Bridging biosciences and deep learning for revolutionary discoveries: a compr...
PPTX
20250228 LYD VKU AI Blended-Learning.pptx
PDF
Encapsulation_ Review paper, used for researhc scholars
PPTX
MYSQL Presentation for SQL database connectivity
PDF
Electronic commerce courselecture one. Pdf
PDF
7 ChatGPT Prompts to Help You Define Your Ideal Customer Profile.pdf
PDF
NewMind AI Monthly Chronicles - July 2025
PDF
Advanced methodologies resolving dimensionality complications for autism neur...
PDF
Diabetes mellitus diagnosis method based random forest with bat algorithm
PDF
Per capita expenditure prediction using model stacking based on satellite ima...
PDF
Spectral efficient network and resource selection model in 5G networks
PDF
NewMind AI Weekly Chronicles - August'25 Week I
PDF
Encapsulation theory and applications.pdf
PDF
Reach Out and Touch Someone: Haptics and Empathic Computing
PDF
CIFDAQ's Market Insight: SEC Turns Pro Crypto
PDF
KodekX | Application Modernization Development
PPTX
PA Analog/Digital System: The Backbone of Modern Surveillance and Communication
PDF
Dropbox Q2 2025 Financial Results & Investor Presentation
Architecting across the Boundaries of two Complex Domains - Healthcare & Tech...
cuic standard and advanced reporting.pdf
Bridging biosciences and deep learning for revolutionary discoveries: a compr...
20250228 LYD VKU AI Blended-Learning.pptx
Encapsulation_ Review paper, used for researhc scholars
MYSQL Presentation for SQL database connectivity
Electronic commerce courselecture one. Pdf
7 ChatGPT Prompts to Help You Define Your Ideal Customer Profile.pdf
NewMind AI Monthly Chronicles - July 2025
Advanced methodologies resolving dimensionality complications for autism neur...
Diabetes mellitus diagnosis method based random forest with bat algorithm
Per capita expenditure prediction using model stacking based on satellite ima...
Spectral efficient network and resource selection model in 5G networks
NewMind AI Weekly Chronicles - August'25 Week I
Encapsulation theory and applications.pdf
Reach Out and Touch Someone: Haptics and Empathic Computing
CIFDAQ's Market Insight: SEC Turns Pro Crypto
KodekX | Application Modernization Development
PA Analog/Digital System: The Backbone of Modern Surveillance and Communication
Dropbox Q2 2025 Financial Results & Investor Presentation

DynamoDB Cost Optimization Masterclass: ScyllaDB as a DynamoDB Alternative

  • 1. ScyllaDB as a DynamoDB Alternative Felipe Cardeneti Mendes
  • 2. Felipe Cardeneti Mendes ● Technical Director at ScyllaDB ● Linux and Open Source enthusiast ● ScyllaDB Passionate
  • 4. When is ScyllaDB an overkill? ■ ScyllaDB is a distributed leaderless database ○ 3 nodes at least ○ NVMe flash storage: ■ Faster ■ Less Expensive than EBS ■ Primary dimensions to watch out: ○ Low Throughput – Infrastructure underutilization; ○ Storage Growth – High density tables → Infrastructure overhead ■ Did you know DynamoDB charges you for RAW uncompressed data? :-) ■ Secondary dimensions: ○ Dependency on AWS ecosystem – Requires considerable refactoring effort ○ Feature set – Expiration Events, Accounting/Capping, Multi-item transactions
  • 6. ScyllaDB Specific Considerations (and Features) ■ Workload Prioritization ○ Helps with workload consolidation ○ Adaptability to Changing Conditions ○ Addresses the "too many tables" problem ■ Excess capacity is shared ■ Enhanced infrastructure utilization
  • 7. ScyllaDB Specific Considerations (and Features) ■ Specialized Cache ○ Read-through – No consistency concerns ○ Built-in ○ Simplified operations
  • 8. ScyllaDB Specific Considerations (and Features) ■ Elasticity ○ Tablets are here! :-) ○ Still no "autoscaling" – but easily achievable ○ Instant request serving
  • 10. Reason 1: You Keep Throwing Money at it You know how much you pay, very little about why? ■ Writes are considerably more expensive than Reads ■ Single table design → More indexes → Higher price/ops ■ Global Tables, Dynamo Streams, S3, DAX, Streams… Woot!
  • 11. Reason 2: Throttling Also known as ProvisionedThroughputExceededException: ■ Force you to back-off, introducing a latency penalty ■ Far easy to hit ■ Non-tunable load shedding mechanics
  • 12. Reason 3: You know what DAX stands for … and now you have two different animals to manage! :-) ■ Doesn't sustain single-digit millisecond latencies at scale ■ Cache helps, but comes with its own nuances: ○ Write to DDB → Read from cache → Stale read! ○ Writes are still synchronous ○ No tightly coupling: Strongly consistent reads still require Dynamo ■ Adds latency!
  • 13. Reason 4: Limits, Troubleshooting & Observability Common blockers: ■ 400KB Item size limit ■ Local Secondary Indexes require… Re-creating the table? ■ Developer Flexibility: DynamoDB Local? ■ Little integration off AWS ecosystem ■ Single-table organization & Querying inflexibility
  • 14. Reason 5: Auto-scaling No silver bullet, and still requires thorough planning: ■ Avoids provisioning for peak capacity, BUT; ■ Works best for gradual increases or decreases in traffic ■ Burst capacity handles occasional spikes AWS DynamoDB Auto Scaling is not a magic bullet
  • 16. Query Language Supported protocols: ■ CQL – Binary protocol ○ Native load balancing ○ Parallel Request Multiplexing ○ Prepared statements, token/shard awareness… ■ DynamoDB API – JSON over HTTP(S) ○ Requires a load balancer ○ Drivers tend to need to open more connections ○ No notion of prepared statements nor consistent hashing
  • 17. Migration Nutshell Client Writes / Reads Enable DynamoDB Streams Reads Writes Consume Changes Sync Changes Writes / Reads ScyllaDB Migrator
  • 19. Keep in touch! Felipe Mendes Technical Director ScyllaDB felipemendes@scylladb.com LinkedIn