Increasingly software developers are choosing Apache Cassandra as the data store for packaged software products. Typically, this is due to Cassandra’s industry leading levels of availability, reliability and scalability. However, many end customers for these software products, and even the software developers themselves, may have limited or no experience supporting Cassandra in an operational environment.

Instaclustr’s Support for OEM’d Apache Cassandra is designed to address exactly this situation. Building on our experience managing and provided standard enterprise support contracts for Apache Cassandra, it provides reduced-cost, high-quality tailored support for Apache Cassandra where it is used in an OEM’d situation (i.e. installed for use by a single, prepackaged application suite).

Each OEM support contract is different, tailored to the needs of the particular OEM situation, however, the following factors are generally common across all  OEM support contracts:

1. To establish the contract we conduct an initial, fixed price review of the application’s use of Cassandra, testing (or customer experience), available setup and operations guidance for customers and existing support operations. As a result of this, we develop:
   • a concept of operations for ongoing support;
   • a quote (per node/customer) for ongoing on support; and
   • recommendations for steps to increase the supportability of Cassandra and corresponding changes in the support cost (eg application changes, additional/changed operations guidance, etc).
2. Ongoing support costs are generally on a per customer/cluster or node basis. The relationship can either be directly between Instaclustr and the customer or via the OEM (typically with the OEM providing L1 support). Coverage can be all OEM customers or opt in/out.
3. Protocols are agreed for Instaclustr review of significant applications changes, dealing with Instaclustr feedback on recurring issues seen in production and communicating things like recommend significant patches to customers.
4. Instaclustr then takes ongoing responsibility for working with your customers (and support team) to resolve any Cassandra issues in production.

With this arrangement, OEMs can provide their customers with the support they are looking for at a price that makes sense given their proven, restricted use of Cassandra.

Instaclustr’s Support for OEM’d Apache Cassandra is available now. For further information please contact [email protected].