Neo4j Management, Optimization, and Refactoring Workshop
Instructor-led Neo4j workshop on Aura administration, backups, metrics, Cypher query tuning with PROFILE, indexes, and graph model refactoring.
In this 4-hour workshop, you will learn
Neo4j Management, Optimization, and Full definition for refactoring (opens in a new tab)Changing the structure of a graph without changing what it represents, usually to make queries simpler, faster or more logical. is a hands-on Neo4j workshop for practitioners who already run queries against a graph and want them to run well. Over four hours you create your own Neo4j Go to glossary for Aura instance (opens in a new tab)A single Neo4j database running in Aura., load the Northwind dataset, and use it to practise the three disciplines that keep a production graph healthy: administering the database, tuning slow Full definition for Cypher (opens in a new tab)Neo4j's implementation of GQL, the ISO standard query language for graph databases. It is declarative: you describe the pattern to find, and the database decides how to find it. queries, and refactoring the model itself.
The workshop is built to accompany an instructor-led session, and this course is your companion for it. Every exercise runs against your own Aura instance, so the queries you profile, the metrics you read, and the refactoring you apply all happen on a database you control and keep after the session. If you were not at the live event, the material stands on its own and you can complete it at your own pace. What sets it apart from an introductory course is its focus on why a database behaves the way it does: you do not just learn that indexes make queries faster, you profile a query, count the database hits, add the index, and profile it again to see the difference.
Neo4j Database Management
Configure and administer Neo4j Aura instances, manage backups, and apply operational best practices to keep your database healthy and available.
Aura Monitoring and Metrics
Explore Aura's built-in monitoring tools to track query performance, memory usage, and cluster health, then act on the metrics you collect.
Cypher Query Optimization
Use PROFILE and EXPLAIN to diagnose slow queries, identify missing indexes, and rewrite Cypher statements to run faster at scale.
Graph Database Refactoring
Apply proven refactoring patterns to restructure an existing graph model, improving query efficiency and aligning the schema with evolving business requirements.
What you need to take part.
A GraphAcademy account
The workshop is delivered here on GraphAcademy, so you need to be signed in to work through the lessons and keep your progress. Creating an account is free.
4 modules, 4 hours.
Who this workshop is for
This workshop is for developers, data engineers, and administrators who have moved past their first Neo4j project and now care about performance and operations. If you have written Full definition for Cypher (opens in a new tab)Neo4j's implementation of GQL, the ISO standard query language for graph databases. It is declarative: you describe the pattern to find, and the database decides how to find it. that works but feels slow, inherited a graph model you suspect could be better, or become responsible for an Go to glossary for Aura instance (opens in a new tab)A single Neo4j database running in Aura. and want to understand its logs, metrics, and backups, this workshop is aimed at you. It is not a beginner course: you should have completed Neo4j Fundamentals and Cypher Fundamentals, or be able to read and write Cypher
MATCHFull definition for pattern (opens in a new tab)A graph structure written in Cypher, such as a node joined to another node by a relationship. without help.What you'll do
You start by provisioning an Go to glossary for Aura instance (opens in a new tab)A single Neo4j database running in Aura. and importing the Northwind dataset, which gives every later exercise a realistic graph of products, orders, and customers to work against. No local installation is required.
On the administration side, you manage organizations, projects, and instances in the Go to glossary for Aura (opens in a new tab)Neo4j's fully managed cloud service. console, take and restore backups, read logs and metrics, and learn how Neo4j uses memory. On the performance side, you follow a Full definition for Cypher (opens in a new tab)Neo4j's implementation of GQL, the ISO standard query language for graph databases. It is declarative: you describe the pattern to find, and the database decides how to find it. query through its lifecycle, use
EXPLAINandPROFILEto inspect query plans and count database hits, create indexes, exploit the count store, and break down complex queries withWITHbefore investigating a slow query yourself. Finally, you refactor the graph: adding more specific Full definition for node (opens in a new tab)A vertex in a graph. In a property graph it can carry labels and properties. Full definition for label (opens in a new tab)A tag on a node that groups it with other nodes of the same kind. A node can carry more than one., materialising indirect Full definition for relationship (opens in a new tab)A named, directed connection between two nodes. Every relationship has a type, a start node and an end node., and promoting Full definition for property (opens in a new tab)A named value stored on a node or a relationship. to nodes, finishing with a challenge in which you refactor the model on your own.Where to go next
To go deeper on performance, take Cypher Indexes and Constraints and Intermediate Cypher Queries. For the operational side, Neo4j Aura Administration expands on managing instances and backups, while Graph Data Modeling Fundamentals formalises the Full definition for refactoring (opens in a new tab)Changing the structure of a graph without changing what it represents, usually to make queries simpler, faster or more logical. instincts from the final module. The schedule of upcoming instructor-led sessions is on the workshops page.