Collections
Overview
A LambdaDB collection is a logical namespace that holds a set of documents, where each document is a set of fields — which, in turn, are key-value pairs that contain your data.
Think of a LambdaDB project as a database that can contain many collections (similar to tables), and within each collection, you have many documents containing your actual data as flexible key-value pairs.
Database structure comparison
LambdaDB’s structure differs from traditional relational databases. Here’s how they compare:| RDBMS | LambdaDB |
|---|---|
| Database | Project |
| Table | Collection |
| Column/row | Document with key-value pairs |
Indexes in LambdaDB are not the same as you’d find in a relational database. The whole document is stored as is regardless of its existence in index configurations, but being stored does not necessarily mean they are searchable.
API interaction
LambdaDB provides a RESTful JSON-based API for interacting with document data. You can perform the following operations by sending HTTP requests to the appropriate endpoints:- Upsert documents into collections
- Search across documents using various query types
- Delete individual documents or entire collections
- Update document data and collection configurations
Zero-copy collection clone
Zero-copy collection clone is a powerful feature that allows you to create a new collection by referencing an existing collection’s data, without physically copying the underlying data. This feature is useful when you want to create a new collection with the same configurations and data as an existing collection, in order to load-test, develop, and experiment in an isolated environment.Key benefits
- Instant creation: Collections are created immediately without waiting for data transfer.
- Storage efficiency: No additional storage space required for the cloned data.
- Isolated environment: Perfect for load testing, development, and experimentation.
- Same configurations: Inherits all index configurations and data from the source collection.
Use cases
This feature is particularly useful when you want to:- Create isolated environments for testing without affecting production data.
- Set up staging environments that mirror production collections.
- Experiment with different query patterns or configurations.
- Perform load testing with real data volumes.
- Create backup references for disaster recovery scenarios.
Changes made to documents in a zero-copy cloned collection do not affect the original collection, ensuring complete isolation while maintaining efficiency.