In this chapter, we introduced Apache Cassandra and some of its design considerations and components. These aspects were discussed and a high level description of each was given, as well as how each affects things like cluster layout and data storage. Additionally, we built our own local, single-node cluster. CCM was also introduced, with minimal discussion. Some basic commands with Cassandra's nodetool were introduced and put to use.
With a single-node cluster running, the cqlsh tool was introduced. We created a keyspace that will work in a plural data center configuration. The concept of query tables was also introduced, as well as running some simple read and write operations.
In the next chapter, we will take an in-depth look at Cassandra's underlying architecture, and understand what is key to making good decisions about cluster deployment and data modeling. From there, we'll discuss various aspects to help fine-tune a production cluster and its deployment process. That will bring us to monitoring and application development, and put you well on your way to mastering Cassandra!