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.

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Database structure comparison

LambdaDB’s structure differs from traditional relational databases. Here’s how they compare:
RDBMSLambdaDB
DatabaseProject
TableCollection
Column/rowDocument with key-value pairs
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.
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.

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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
These CRUD-like operations can take place at both individual document level and collection level, giving you flexibility in how you manage your data.

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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.

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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.

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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.