27 lines
1.0 KiB
Markdown
27 lines
1.0 KiB
Markdown
---
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title: Frequently asked questions
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description: Frequently asked questions about time series data and the InfluxData platform.
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menu:
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platform:
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name: Frequently asked questions
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weight: 70
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---
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[What is time series data?](#what-is-time-series-data)
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[Why shouldn't I just use a relational database?](#why-shouldn-t-i-just-use-a-relational-database)
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## What is time series data?
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Time series data is a series of data points each associated with a specific time.
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Examples include:
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- Server performance metrics
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- Financial averages over time
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- Sensor data, such as temperature, barometric pressure, wind speeds, etc.
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## Why shouldn't I just use a relational database?
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Relational databases can be used to store and analyze time series data, but depending
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on the precision of your data, a query can involve potentially millions of rows.
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InfluxDB is purpose-built to store and query data by time, providing out-of-the-box
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functionality that optionally downsamples data after a specific age and a query
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engine optimized for time-based data.
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