Apache Cassandra is a NoSQL database in which a distributed architecture supports high scale and availability on commodity hardware. It provides a model for understanding how to create scalable systems in the cloud. Cassandra is particularly useful for workloads requiring high write throughput, such as time-series data and logs. In this presentation, Neil Mackenzie will provide an introduction to Cassandra and describe how to use it in Windows Azure. Neil Mackenzie is Windows Azure Lead for Satory Global, where he helps companies migrate onto the Windows Azure Platform. He has been using Windows Azure since its public preview at Microsoft’s Professional Developers Conference (PDC) 2008. Neil wrote the Microsoft Windows Azure Development Cookbook. He speaks frequently at user groups and in Windows Azure training sessions.