---
title: Frequently asked questions
description: Frequently asked questions about time series data and the InfluxData platform.
url: https://docs.influxdata.com/platform/faq/
estimated_tokens: 265
---

# Frequently asked questions

[What is time series data?](#what-is-time-series-data)  
[Why shouldn’t I just use a relational database?](#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.