

ClickHouse: Breaking the Speed Limit for Observability and Analytics - OpenObservability Talks S5E12
23 snips May 27, 2025
In this captivating discussion, Robert Hodges, CEO of Altinity and a key contributor to ClickHouse, shares his extensive knowledge of database technology. He highlights how ClickHouse is revolutionizing the field with incredible speed and efficiency, outperforming legacy systems like MySQL. The conversation dives into the new Project Antalya, showcasing how it dramatically reduces storage costs and boosts query speeds. Robert also explores ClickHouse's adaptability in observability, integrating with tools like OpenTelemetry, and emphasizes the importance of community engagement in open-source projects.
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ClickHouse Design for Speed
- ClickHouse was designed for speed with a columnar data layout and multi-threaded query processing.
- These two factors enable fast analytics on large volumes of data compared to traditional row-based databases.
Robert Hodges' ClickHouse Journey
- Robert Hodges started with databases in the military using IBM mainframes.
- He later joined Altinity to work on ClickHouse after hearing about its potential.
The Resilience of SQL
- SQL remains vital because of its robust data modeling and universal developer familiarity.
- Despite challenges, SQL persists due to its tooling and relational strengths.