helixml / docs

Getting Started with Helix

Motivation:

The Getting Started section guides users through the initial steps of using Helix, including installation, configuration, and basic usage. Key Aspects: Installation and setup instructions Basic usage scenarios and examples Key concepts and terminology for newcomers.

Installation

Helix requires Java 8 or later to run. You can install it using your package manager or by downloading the latest version from the Oracle website.

Once you have Java installed, you can download Helix from the GitHub repository.

Configuration

After downloading and extracting Helix, you need to configure it before you can use it.

Helix uses a configuration file named helix.properties, located in the conf directory of the Helix installation. This file contains all the necessary settings for Helix.

Here are some of the key properties:

  • helix.home: The root directory of the Helix installation.
  • helix.data.dir: The directory where Helix stores its data.
  • helix.log.dir: The directory where Helix stores its logs.
  • helix.port: The port that Helix listens on for connections.

You can modify these properties to suit your needs.

Basic Usage

To start Helix, run the bin/helix script in the Helix installation directory.

Once Helix is running, you can use the bin/helix-admin script to manage your Helix instances.

Examples

Here are some examples of how to use Helix:

  • Start a Helix instance: bin/helix start
  • Stop a Helix instance: bin/helix stop
  • Create a new Helix cluster: bin/helix-admin create-cluster --name mycluster --num-partitions 3
  • Add a new node to a Helix cluster: bin/helix-admin add-node --cluster mycluster --node node1 --host localhost --port 1234

Key Concepts

  • Cluster: A collection of nodes that work together to store and process data.
  • Node: A physical or virtual machine that runs a Helix instance.
  • Partition: A logical division of data within a cluster.
  • Controller: A node in a cluster that is responsible for managing the cluster.
  • Resource: A logical unit of data that is stored in a Helix cluster.

Terminology

  • Helix: The name of the distributed data platform.
  • Instance: A running instance of Helix on a node.
  • Participant: A node that participates in a Helix cluster.

Getting Help

If you need help with Helix, you can consult the Helix documentation. You can also ask questions on the Helix mailing list.