Differences with OrientDB

ArcadeDB was created from the same original developers of OrientDB, but it was built from scratch with a completely new codebase and architecture. While many concepts will feel familiar to OrientDB users, there are important differences to be aware of when migrating.

Architecture

  • No classes hierarchy: ArcadeDB uses Types instead of Classes. Types support single inheritance but do not support the polymorphic class hierarchy that OrientDB offered.

  • Buckets instead of Clusters: What OrientDB called "clusters" are called "buckets" in ArcadeDB. They serve a similar purpose of physically grouping records, but the API and behavior differ.

  • No Record-level security: ArcadeDB does not implement record-level security. Security is managed at the database and server level.

  • Embedded only or Client-Server: ArcadeDB runs either as an embedded database or in client-server mode. There is no "remote" storage engine concept as in OrientDB.

  • Component-based storage: ArcadeDB uses an LSM-Tree based storage engine, which is fundamentally different from OrientDB’s plocal/memory storage engines.

Data Model

  • No BLOB/Binary type: ArcadeDB does not have a dedicated BLOB or ORecordBytes type. Binary data should be stored as Base64-encoded strings or managed externally.

  • No LINKBAG: ArcadeDB uses simpler edge management for graphs and does not use the LINKBAG (ridbag) structure.

  • No CUSTOM field type: The CUSTOM field type from OrientDB is not available.

  • Record IDs: ArcadeDB uses Record IDs (RIDs) with the same #bucket:position format, but the internal storage is different.

SQL

  • Mostly compatible: ArcadeDB SQL is largely compatible with OrientDB SQL, with some differences:

    • LET blocks in queries have some syntax differences.

    • TRAVERSE is supported but deprecated in favor of MATCH and recursive queries.

    • The .asSet(), .asList(), .asMap() methods are kept for OrientDB compatibility.

    • DELETE …​ UNSAFE is kept only for compatibility but has no effect.

    • Some OrientDB-specific functions may not be available.

  • New SQL extensions: ArcadeDB adds SQL commands not found in OrientDB, such as ALIGN DATABASE, IMPORT DATABASE with multiple format support, and enhanced MATCH syntax.

API

  • No ODocument/OVertex/OEdge: ArcadeDB has its own API with Document, Vertex, and Edge interfaces that are similar in concept but different in implementation.

  • No ODatabaseDocument: Use Database or DatabaseFactory in ArcadeDB.

  • No OClass: Use DocumentType, VertexType, and EdgeType instead.

  • Multi-model API: ArcadeDB provides a unified multi-model API from the start, supporting Document, Graph, Key/Value, Search Engine, Time Series, Vector, and Geospatial models.

Connectivity

  • HTTP/JSON API: ArcadeDB provides a REST API that is different from OrientDB’s REST API. The endpoints and JSON format are not compatible.

  • Postgres wire protocol: ArcadeDB supports the PostgreSQL wire protocol, allowing connections from any PostgreSQL-compatible client. OrientDB did not offer this.

  • MongoDB wire protocol: ArcadeDB supports the MongoDB wire protocol natively.

  • Redis wire protocol: ArcadeDB supports a subset of the Redis protocol.

  • Bolt protocol: ArcadeDB supports the Neo4j Bolt protocol, enabling connections from Neo4j-compatible clients and drivers.

  • gRPC protocol: ArcadeDB supports gRPC for high-performance client-server communication.

  • No binary protocol: ArcadeDB does not use a custom binary protocol like OrientDB’s. Instead, it relies on HTTP/JSON and standard database wire protocols (PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Redis, Bolt, gRPC).

  • Gremlin: ArcadeDB supports Apache TinkerPop Gremlin, similar to OrientDB, but through an embedded Gremlin engine rather than as a TinkerPop server.

Migration

To migrate from OrientDB to ArcadeDB:

  1. Export from OrientDB: Export your OrientDB database using the OrientDB console EXPORT DATABASE command in JSON format.

  2. Import into ArcadeDB: Use the ArcadeDB OrientDB Importer or the IMPORT DATABASE SQL command:

    IMPORT DATABASE url=file:///path/to/orientdb-export.json.gz

  3. Update application code: Adapt your application to use ArcadeDB’s API, drivers, and connection protocols.

  4. Test thoroughly: Verify that queries, data integrity, and application logic work correctly with ArcadeDB.

For more details on importing, see the OrientDB Importer section.