Apache Ignite is a distributed in-memory database designed for high-performance computing with support for SQL queries and ACID transactions across a cluster.
The tool addresses the need for fast data access and processing by storing data in memory while offering optional persistence to disk through native persistence or external databases. It implements a multi-tier storage architecture that can use DRAM, Intel Optane, and various disk types as active storage layers. Data remains ACID-compliant and strongly consistent whether stored in memory or on disk, and transactions can span multiple servers across the network. The system provides an ANSI-99 compliant SQL engine accessible through JDBC, ODBC, and native APIs for Java, C#, C++, and Python, supporting standard DML operations and relevant DDL commands for distributed systems.
Ignite suits applications requiring both fast query performance and the ability to process large datasets that exceed available memory. It works well as a caching layer on top of external databases or as a standalone persistent store. Organizations building high-performance compute clusters can use Ignite to turn commodity hardware into a distributed supercomputer, leveraging MapReduce-style APIs for data-intensive and compute-intensive workloads. The native persistence feature enables fast cluster restarts and allows storing more data on disk than can fit in memory.
The project maintains two actively developed versions in separate repositories, with this repository containing the 2.x line. Development activity shows consistent engagement with regular updates across the codebase. The project sustains a broad API surface supporting multiple programming languages and platforms. Maintenance spans both core distributed database functionality and integrations with external storage systems and cloud environments.
