Frequently asked questions

What is time series data?
Why shouldn’t I just use a relational database?

What is time series data?

Time series data is a series of data points each associated with a specific time. Examples include:

• Server performance metrics
• Financial averages over time
• Sensor data, such as temperature, barometric pressure, wind speeds, etc.

Why shouldn’t I just use a relational database?

Relational databases can be used to store and analyze time series data, but depending on the precision of your data, a query can involve potentially millions of rows. InfluxDB is purpose-built to store and query data by time, providing out-of-the-box functionality that optionally downsamples data after a specific age and a query engine optimized for time-based data.