Accelerating Apache Ignite Persistence with Simplyblock

Apache Ignite is a powerful in-memory computing platform used for caching, distributed databases, and real-time analytics. While its in-memory speed is unmatched, scaling Ignite for persistence and durability brings new challenges. Once datasets exceed RAM capacity, you need storage that is just as fast and resilient.

Simplyblock provides the ideal backend for Ignite persistence. With NVMe-over-TCP and zone-independent storage, it keeps Ignite clusters fast, reliable, and ready for enterprise-scale workloads.

How Simplyblock Strengthens Apache Ignite Storage

Apache Ignite’s persistence layer writes data to disk to survive restarts and failures. But traditional storage like EBS struggles with latency, limited throughput, and zone lock-in. This can quickly create bottlenecks for Ignite’s write-heavy workloads.

Simplyblock eliminates these issues by delivering low-latency, high-throughput volumes that can scale on demand. With replication across availability zones, Ignite clusters gain both performance and resilience. This makes it the perfect fit for caching, streaming analytics, and mission-critical distributed databases.

🚀 Enhance Apache Ignite Persistence with Simplyblock
    Keep Ignite clusters consistent, durable, and high-performing across zones.
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Step 1: Install and Configure Simplyblock Volumes

Start by preparing volumes for Ignite persistence directories. Create a storage pool and volumes using sbctl:

sbctl pool create ignite-pool /dev/nvme0n1

sbctl volume add ignite-volume 500G ignite-pool

sbctl volume connect ignite-volume

Format and mount the device:

mkfs.ext4 /dev/nvme0n1

mkdir -p /ignite/persistence

mount /dev/nvme0n1 /ignite/persistence

This mount point will be used by Ignite to store its persistent data. More detailed setup instructions are available in the simplyblock documentation.

Step 2: Configure Ignite to Use Simplyblock for Persistence

With the volume ready, configure Ignite to point to it. In your ignite.xml, set the persistence store directory to the mounted path:

<property name=”DataStorageConfiguration”>

    <bean class=” org.apache.ignite.configuration.DataStorageConfiguration”>

        <property name=”defaultDataRegionConfiguration”>

            <bean class=” org.apache.ignite.configuration.DataRegionConfiguration”>

                <property name=”persistenceEnabled” value=”true”/>

                <property name=”maxSize” value=”#{512L * 1024 * 1024 * 1024}”/>

            </bean>

        </property>

        <property name=”storagePath” value=”/ignite/persistence”/>

    </bean>

</property>

Restart Ignite, and the cluster will now persist data to the simplyblock-backed storage. For more details on tuning persistence, see the Apache Ignite persistence documentation.

Step 3: Validate the Setup

Once configured, verify Ignite is persisting data correctly. Use Ignite’s monitoring tools or the command-line visor:

ignitevisorcmd

Check cluster state and persistence directories. On the storage side, confirm with:

sbctl stats

This ensures Ignite is writing to simplyblock volumes with low latency and proper capacity.

Step 4: Scaling Ignite Clusters with Simplyblock

As Ignite clusters grow, so do persistence requirements. With simplyblock, you can expand volumes without downtime:

sbctl volume resize ignite-volume 1000G

resize2fs /dev/nvme0n1

This allows Ignite to handle larger datasets and higher workloads seamlessly. For teams focused on balancing scale and cost, this ties directly into cloud cost optimization with AWS storage tiering.

Step 5: Performance Optimization & Best Practices

To maximize Ignite throughput, deploy on Nitro-based EC2 instances that provide high disk bandwidth. Adjust block sizes for write-heavy workloads such as analytics or real-time caching. For concurrent workloads, spread data across multiple simplyblock volumes to ensure even performance.

Monitor system health using Ignite’s built-in metrics along with:

sbctl stats

iostat

AWS Nitro documentation on NVMe-based EBS volumes provides additional guidance for tuning high-I/O environments. These same strategies also support long-term software-defined storage strategies for hybrid deployments.

Ensuring Apache Ignite Persistence Stays Resilient

High availability is vital for Apache Ignite since many clusters run in cloud or multi-zone environments. While Ignite’s in-memory design offers speed, it still relies on persistent storage for durability. If that storage is limited to a single zone or struggles with latency, cluster reliability quickly suffers.

Simplyblock solves this by providing zone-independent volumes that replicate across availability zones. This gives Ignite clusters a stronger recovery path during failures and ensures consistent performance under heavy write loads—aligning directly with multi-availability zone disaster recovery practices without adding operational complexity.

Questions and Answers