Exasol puts in-memory analytics on an Intel NUC for proof-of-concept work
Analytics specialist Exasol has created a novel way for customers to run a proof-of-concept pilot for big data projects by offering a free version of its ExaSolution in-memory database capable of running on a single node. The firm has even demonstrated it running on an Intel NUC mini PC.
Available to download now, the free trial version of Exasol’s database is restricted to a single node rather than a cluster of servers. This means that potential customers can use it for proof-of-concept projects on a single system without having to invest in costly infrastructure before they are ready to deploy.
It could also prove attractive as a way for small-to-medium businesses (SMBs) to dip their toes in the water with big data analytics at relatively low cost, while big data projects are still largely the preserve of large organisations.
The free edition appears to be offered as a virtual appliance, and requires a 64-bit operating system (Windows, Linux or Apple OS X) with at least 4GB memory and a virtual machine player such as VirtualBox, VMware Player or KVM.
Exasol also advises that customers will get the best results with data volumes up to 100GB in capacity, while about 10 to 20 percent of the data should be kept in memory, which is limited to 10GB in the free edition anyway.
