# RavenDB — ACID Document Database with Built-In Search

> RavenDB is a fully transactional NoSQL document database with built-in full-text search, distributed clustering, and multi-model support for documents, counters, time series, and attachments.

## Install

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# RavenDB — ACID Document Database with Built-In Search

## Quick Use
```bash
# Docker
docker run -d -p 8080:8080 -p 38888:38888 
  -e RAVEN_Setup_Mode=None 
  -e RAVEN_Security_UnsecuredAccessAllowed=PrivateNetwork 
  ravendb/ravendb
```

## Introduction
RavenDB is a document database that combines ACID transactions with the flexibility of a schema-free data model. It includes a built-in search engine based on Lucene/Corax, automatic indexing, and multi-node clustering without requiring external tools.

## What RavenDB Does
- Stores JSON documents with ACID transactions including multi-document operations
- Automatically creates indexes based on query patterns
- Provides built-in full-text search without external search engines
- Supports distributed clusters with automatic failover and conflict resolution
- Handles attachments, counters, time series, and graph queries natively

## Architecture Overview
RavenDB uses a master-master replication model where every node in a cluster can accept writes. Conflicts are resolved automatically using configurable strategies or custom scripts. The storage engine (Voron) is a copy-on-write B+tree optimized for SSDs with ACID guarantees. Indexes run asynchronously on background threads using a Lucene-derived engine called Corax, keeping write latency low while maintaining query performance.

## Self-Hosting & Configuration
- Deploy via Docker, DEB/RPM packages, or direct binary download for Linux, Windows, or macOS
- Access the Studio web UI at port 8080 for database management and query development
- Configure cluster topology by adding nodes through the Studio or REST API
- Set up TLS certificates for production deployments via the built-in setup wizard
- Enable external replication or ETL to sync data with other databases or services

## Key Features
- ACID transactions across multiple documents and collections in a single cluster
- Auto-indexing analyzes query patterns and creates indexes without manual DDL
- Built-in Lucene/Corax search engine eliminates the need for a separate search service
- Multi-model: documents, key-value, counters, time series, attachments, and graph queries
- Studio web UI provides a visual query builder, index management, and cluster monitoring

## Comparison with Similar Tools
- **MongoDB** — eventually consistent by default; RavenDB provides ACID multi-document transactions
- **Elasticsearch** — search-focused with limited transactional guarantees; RavenDB combines both
- **CouchDB** — HTTP-based with eventual consistency; RavenDB offers stronger consistency and auto-indexing
- **FerretDB** — MongoDB-compatible on PostgreSQL; RavenDB is a purpose-built engine with native search
- **ArangoDB** — multi-model with graph focus; RavenDB emphasizes ACID guarantees and auto-indexing

## FAQ
**Q: Is RavenDB open source?**
A: RavenDB Community Edition is open source under the AGPLv3 license. Commercial licenses are available for proprietary deployments.

**Q: How does auto-indexing work?**
A: When a query arrives without a matching index, RavenDB creates one automatically based on the query pattern. The index builds in the background while the query returns results from a temporary scan.

**Q: Does RavenDB support SQL-like queries?**
A: RavenDB uses RQL (Raven Query Language), a SQL-like language tailored for document queries. It supports projections, filtering, grouping, and full-text search predicates.

**Q: What happens during a network partition?**
A: RavenDB uses a consensus protocol for cluster operations. During a partition, nodes that maintain quorum continue accepting writes; isolated nodes queue changes for reconciliation.

## Sources
- https://github.com/ravendb/ravendb
- https://ravendb.net/docs

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Source: https://tokrepo.com/en/workflows/asset-db1dd463
Author: AI Open Source