In-Memory Data Grid Architecture

The in-memory data grid architecture makes the data readily accessible as the servers are interconnected and store data in RAM.

14:06 20 October 2021

An increase in data prompts companies to increase server capacity or to install new servers remotely to help handle large volumes of data. This process provides a solution on one end but creates a problem on the other end. The process of moving data between the servers becomes slower and expensive.

 

The in-memory data grid architecture provides a solution that is both fast and scalable. They help make the data readily accessible because the servers are interconnected and store data in RAM. IMDG performs its task using distributed software to store data across several servers. 

 

The working of in-memory data grid architecture explained

An IMDG helps users access and store data using a hybrid software. Each computer works independently and stores its own data in memory but the data in each computer can be viewed from one address.

 

The hybrid software helps interconnect each computer node so that the data in that node is connected with data in every other node or application. This eliminates the complexity of data retrieval and updates across the entire network and simplifies app development. 

 

All information in IMDG is stored as objects and each object is represented as a variable. The app in the variable references them as though they are stored in the computer from which the app is running. 

 

The result is highly simplified computer programming compared to any other in-memory computing technology. The need to add a code to retrieve data is eliminated. This saves time and data is retrieved much faster. 

 

The purpose of using memory as storage instead of disks

Most major companies around the world have grown exponentially into companies that are making millions of transactions daily. Customers place orders, make payments, file complaints while businesses process the orders and close deals. 

 

Systems must therefore be developed that will accommodate the large amounts of data and move it at great speeds. This will help avoid slow systems that can make a business lose customers. 

 

A good example is an online booking system where customers book tickets, hotels, transport, or goods in advance and make a payment in advance or immediately they receive the service or product they booked. The system must be fast and connect to many computers around the world. 

 

To help maintain high data processing speed, the business moves away from hard disks and begins to use memory instead. The business solves the problem of storing big data and performance improves many times more. 

 

In-memory data grid architecture

If in-memory is to be used as storage, it must overcome some weaknesses. First, although the memory can act as storage, its capacity is limited and once that capacity is exceeded, the memory automatically slows down.

 

Secondly, data in the memory can be lost if the system is switched off or fails and this might prove memory as an unreliable storage area. These are two weaknesses that memory must overcome if it is to be considered as a viable storage area.

 

More advanced technology is required to help the memory overcome its shortcomings and IMDG helps it overcome them. It uses distributed infrastructure to provide horizontal scalability and thus overcome the challenge of limited capacity. 

 

IMDG also uses a replicated system in its cluster distribution such that data is always available even when the system fails, experiences an error, or power goes off. This helps the memory overcome the challenge of reliability and a business becomes confident that data cannot be lost. 

 

How IMDG architecture works

IMDG is simply a storage area and requires process managers, tables, triggers, or store procedures to work. It’s purely a storage area that uses a key-value pairs model. That means it uses only two items – a key and a value. Values are stored in different lists and the work of the key is to store and retrieve the values. 

 

The main memory database uses tables that rely on primary keys and indexes but an IMDG does not require these. Its keys can be a number, an object, or a string. There is an advantage to this because the user does not need to translate objects into a relational data model and they are not limited to the number of values that can be stored per key. 

 

Advantages of using IMDG

Storing data off-heap

Usually, data stored on the heap is limited to a maximum of 512 MB. This limited storage cannot allow big companies to store larger volumes of data in memory. The IMDG architecture allows storage of data off-heap so that all available memory space can be used to increase speed. 

 

High networking and clustering abilities

An IMDG architecture can produce excellent results when used in one computer. This process can be replicated by networking with many other computers to produce a highly scalable capability. The architecture helps synchronize data between users, making it available in real-time and fast. 

 

Saves on cost and time

Its clustering and networking capabilities help move data fast. It also helps reduce network overhead, improve concurrency, and minimize total locks required for each transaction to complete. These capabilities help reduce the overall cost of maintaining the system and for moving and processing data. 

 

Features that are common with an IMDG architecture

An IMDG storage uses distributed in-memory. It is a replicated system that is fault-tolerant and readily available. It uses unique peer-peer architecture and simply works using a key and a value. 

 

Data in IMDG may be allowed to expire after a certain period and its architecture supports clustering. The system provides high documentation support and it can host a large community of users. 

 

The system offers in-memory data consistency such that the most updated data is always made available. It provides a guarantee that data cannot be lost when the system fails because it is highly ACID – atomicity, consistency, isolation, durability. 

 

The key difference between IMDG and IMDB

IMDG and IMDB work almost the same but there is one major difference between the two. IMDG makes it possible to create apps that can handle large volumes of data at the same time. 

 

On the other hand, IMDB has been created to focus more on storage that can allow the retrieval of small quantities of data at a time. After the data is retrieved and processed, it can then be moved back to IMDB.