Apache Cassandra 5.0 and DataStax: The Benefits of Staying in Sync

The relationship between Apache Cassandra and DataStax drives innovation and benefits the entire community. With hundreds of engineers working on Cassandra across various employers, including notable concentrations at DataStax, Apple, Netflix, and Netapp, a structured approach called the Cassandra Enhancement Proposal (CEP) process ensures large contributions are thoroughly vetted before inclusion in the project. This careful balance between rapid innovation and long-term stability has led to significant contributions from DataStax, such as Storage Attached Indexes (SAI), trie indexes, unified compaction strategy, and vector search. By staying closely aligned with the upstream version of Cassandra, companies like DataStax avoid compatibility issues and maintenance burdens while contributing their changes back to the main project. This collaboration fosters a close relationship between commercial entities and the broader Cassandra community, driving innovation and ensuring stability for users.