In the previous lesson, you learned how to manage organizations and projects in the Aura Console. In this lesson, you will learn how to create your first Aura Free database instance and understand the key factors that influence instance configuration.
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
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Create an Aura Free database instance
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Understand why location and instance size matter for database performance
Creating a new instance
To create a new database instance, select Instances in the menu on the left, then click Create Instance.
This will take you to the instance creation page, where you can configure your new database instance.
Once you have chosen the right location and size, you can create your first Aura Free instance.
You will be presented with a modal window that provides you with your choice of tier.
Click the Select button under Aura Free to create a new instance.
A modal window will appear with the username and password for the database.
Make sure to Download and continue and keep the file safe. It contains the credentials needed to connect to your new database.
Instance connection details
| Entry | Value |
|---|---|
NEO4J_URI |
neo4j+s://<instanceid>.databases.neo4j.io |
NEO4J_USERNAME |
neo4j |
NEO4J_PASSWORD |
<your password> |
NEO4J_DATABASE |
neo4j |
AURA_INSTANCEID |
<instanceid> |
AURA_INSTANCENAME |
Instance01 |
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The instanceid cannot be changed in the lifetime of the instance.
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The user has admin rights on the database.
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The password can be changed later.
You will then see the new instance listed on the instances page with a status of Creating.
Once the database is ready, the status will change to Running.
Your first instance is up and running! The indicators shown are specific to Aura Free, whereas other tiers will show indicators for size and location.
Check your understanding
Database Location
Where should your Aura database ideally be located for optimal performance?
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❏ In a different country to reduce costs.
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✓ In the same data centre as your application.
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❏ On the other side of the world for safety.
Hint
Think about network latency and how distance affects data transfer speeds. What would minimize the time it takes for your application to communicate with the database?
Solution
In the same data centre as your application. Physical distance affects latency, so choosing a location close to your application is crucial for optimal performance. The closer your database is to your application, the faster the data transfer will be, reducing query response times and improving overall user experience.
Setting Up Your Aura Instance
Which factor is NOT a consideration when choosing the size of your Neo4j Aura instance?
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❏ Query complexity and expected load
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❏ Required memory for data and indexes
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✓ The color scheme of your graph visualization
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❏ Anticipated growth of your data over time
Hint
Think about what configuration options are available when creating an Aura instance. What parameters can you actually adjust?
Solution
The color scheme of your graph visualization is not a factor in determining the size of your Neo4j Aura instance. The other options relate to performance and capacity planning.
Summary
In this lesson, you created your first Aura Free database instance and learned why location and size matter for database performance.
You now have a running Neo4j Aura instance with connection credentials that you can use to access your database.
In the next lesson, you will explore the tools available in the Aura Console to manage and interact with your database instance.