How to use Azure Cosmos DB

· Category: Cloud Computing

Short answer

Azure Cosmos DB is a fully managed NoSQL database with turnkey global distribution and multi-model APIs.

Steps

  1. Create a Cosmos DB account in the Azure portal.
  2. Choose an API (SQL, MongoDB, Cassandra, Gremlin, Table).
  3. Create a database and container with a partition key.
  4. Configure throughput (manual or autoscale).
  5. Enable global replication to additional regions.

Tips

  • Choose partition keys with high cardinality for even data distribution.
  • Use consistency levels (strong, bounded staleness, session, eventual) based on app needs.
  • Request units (RUs) govern throughput and cost.

Common issues

  • Hot partitions from poor partition key choice throttle performance.
  • Cross-region writes increase latency and RU cost.