Skip to content
Nappai Documentation

Astra DB

Astra DB is a component in Nappai that helps you search through complex data. Imagine having a massive library – Astra DB acts like a super-fast search engine for this library, letting you find specific books (or data points) in seconds. It does this by storing your data in a special format that allows for very quick searches.

Relationship with Astra DB

This component directly interacts with the Astra DB database service to store and retrieve vectorized data. This means your data is securely stored and managed by Astra DB, and Nappai uses this service to perform the searches. You don’t need to know the technical details of how Astra DB works; Nappai handles all the complexities for you.

Inputs

  • Collection Name: The name you give to the specific set of data you want to store in Astra DB. Think of it like the name of a folder in your file system. This is required.
  • Search Input: This is where you type in what you’re looking for. It’s like typing a search query into Google.
  • Ingest Data: This is the data you want to add to your Astra DB collection. It’s the information you want Astra DB to search through.
  • Credential: This is your login information to access your Astra DB account. Nappai will securely store this information.

Advanced Options (Optional): These settings allow for more fine-tuned control, but are not necessary for basic usage.

  • Namespace: An optional extra layer of organization within Astra DB.
  • Metric: Specifies how Astra DB measures the similarity between your search query and the data. Options include “cosine”, “dot_product”, and “euclidean”.
  • Batch Size: The number of data points processed at once. Larger batches can be faster, but may use more resources.
  • Bulk Insert Batch Concurrency/Bulk Insert Overwrite Concurrency/Bulk Delete Concurrency: These settings control how many data points are processed simultaneously during bulk operations (adding, updating, or deleting large amounts of data).
  • Setup Mode: How Astra DB is set up. “Sync” sets it up immediately, “Async” does it in the background, and “Off” skips setup.
  • Pre Delete Collection: Whether to delete an existing collection before creating a new one.
  • Metadata Indexing Include/Exclude: Specify which parts of your data should be included or excluded when Astra DB creates its search index.
  • Embedding or Astra Vectorize: This input specifies how your data is converted into a format suitable for vector search.
  • Collection Indexing Policy: Advanced settings for how Astra DB indexes your data.
  • Number of Results: How many search results you want to see (default is 4).
  • Search Type: The type of search to perform (default is “Similarity”).
  • Search Score Threshold: The minimum similarity score a result must have to be returned.
  • Search Metadata Filter: Allows you to filter search results based on specific criteria within your data.

Outputs

The main output is a list of data points that match your search query. This list is presented in a user-friendly format within the Nappai dashboard, making it easy to review the results.

Usage Example

Let’s say you have a collection of customer reviews stored in Astra DB. You can use the “Search Input” to type in “excellent customer service,” and Astra DB will return a list of reviews containing that phrase or similar sentiments.

Templates

[List of templates where the component can be seen and its configuration – This section needs to be populated with actual template information]

  • VectorStoreInfo: Provides information about the vector store being used.
  • Self Query Retriever: Helps refine your search queries using AI.
  • [List other related components and brief descriptions – This section needs to be populated with actual component information]

Tips and Best Practices

  • Choose a descriptive name for your “Collection Name” to easily identify your data.
  • Start with the basic inputs and explore the advanced options as needed.
  • Experiment with different “Metrics” to find the best search results for your data.

Security Considerations

Nappai securely handles your Astra DB credentials. Ensure you follow best practices for managing your Astra DB account and access permissions.