Can one monitor row modifications on a Cassandra node?

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Yes, Cassandra provides a feature called “Write Ahead Log” (WAL) which records every write operation on disk. These logs are stored in a commit log directory on each node, and they maintain a sequential record of every write operation that has taken place.

By monitoring these commit log directories, one can determine which rows have been modified on a Cassandra node. However, this approach can be time-consuming and complex as the log files can grow large over time, and the data may need to be parsed to determine modifications.

Alternatively, Cassandra provides a built-in feature called “change data capture” (CDC) that allows users to track row-level changes more easily. CDC tables store metadata about modifications made to a table, and these tables can be queried to determine which rows have been modified, what the modifications were, and when they occurred.

CDC requires manual configuration and may impact the performance of the cluster, so it is important to weigh the benefits of CDC against the potential impact on system resources. Overall, both solutions provide ways to monitor row modifications on a Cassandra node, but CDC is the recommended approach as it is more efficient and designed for this purpose.