Configuring the JVM

Apache Cassandra was written in Java, and therefore requires a JVM to run. Make sure to download a Java Runtime Environment (JRE) or Java Development Kit (JDK) to include as a part of your Cassandra installation. Unless otherwise noted, the latest patch of version 8 of the Oracle JDK or OpenJDK should be used.

At the time of writing, Apache Cassandra is not currently compatible with Java 9 or higher.

Adjustments to the JVM settings used by Cassandra can be made in the jvm.options configuration file. Many of those settings deal with the configuration and tuning of the garbage collector.

Get Mastering Apache Cassandra 3.x - Third Edition now with the O’Reilly learning platform.

O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.