The ThemisDB Fundamentals Certification (TDF) is the entry-level certification that validates your foundational knowledge of ThemisDB database technology. This certification demonstrates that you understand core database concepts, can write basic AQL queries, perform installation and configuration, and implement basic security measures.
- Certification Code: TDF
- Level: Entry/Foundation
- Duration: 90 minutes
- Question Count: 25-30 questions
- Question Types: Multiple choice, multiple select, and scenario-based
- Passing Score: 70% (18/25 minimum)
- Validity: 2 years
- Prerequisites: None
- Exam Fee: $150 USD
- Retake Fee: $75 USD
- Language: English (Spanish, Chinese, Japanese coming 2025)
This certification is ideal for:
- Software Developers new to ThemisDB
- Database Administrators transitioning to ThemisDB
- Data Engineers working with multi-model data
- System Architects evaluating ThemisDB
- DevOps Engineers managing ThemisDB deployments
- IT Professionals expanding their database skills
- Students pursuing database technology careers
- Technical Managers overseeing ThemisDB projects
- Basic understanding of database concepts (tables, queries, transactions)
- Familiarity with at least one programming language
- Basic command-line interface knowledge
- Understanding of client-server architecture
- 3-6 months working with any database system
- Basic SQL knowledge (helpful but not required)
- Understanding of data modeling concepts
This is the foundational certification with no prerequisites.
Upon completing this certification, you will be able to:
- Explain ThemisDB's multi-model architecture
- Understand storage engine internals
- Describe ACID transaction properties
- Explain consistency models and isolation levels
- Understand sharding and partitioning strategies
- Describe replication mechanisms
- Work with document data model
- Understand graph data structures
- Utilize key-value storage
- Implement time-series data patterns
- Use vector embeddings for AI/ML
- Apply appropriate model for use cases
- Write basic CRUD operations
- Construct SELECT queries with filters
- Use JOIN operations across models
- Implement aggregation functions
- Apply sorting and pagination
- Utilize subqueries and expressions
- Install ThemisDB on various platforms
- Configure basic database parameters
- Set up network and port settings
- Manage configuration files
- Understand directory structure
- Perform basic troubleshooting
- Configure authentication methods
- Implement basic authorization
- Create and manage users
- Assign permissions and roles
- Secure network connections
- Follow security best practices
- Perform backup and restore operations
- Monitor basic database metrics
- Understand logging mechanisms
- Execute routine maintenance tasks
- Use administrative commands
- Troubleshoot common issues
- Query Engine: AQL parser, optimizer, and executor
- Storage Engine: Multi-model storage layer
- Transaction Manager: ACID compliance and isolation
- Replication Layer: Data consistency across nodes
- Cache System: Memory management and optimization
Document Model → JSON/BSON storage
Graph Model → Vertices and edges
Key-Value → Simple key-based access
Time-Series → Temporal data optimization
Vector → Embeddings for similarity search
- Sharding strategies (hash, range, geographic)
- Partition keys and distribution
- Replica sets and consistency
- Read/write routing
BEGIN TRANSACTION;
UPDATE accounts SET balance = balance - 100 WHERE id = 1;
UPDATE accounts SET balance = balance + 100 WHERE id = 2;
COMMIT;
- Constraints enforcement
- Referential integrity
- Data validation rules
- Read Uncommitted: Lowest isolation
- Read Committed: Default level
- Repeatable Read: Prevents non-repeatable reads
- Serializable: Highest isolation
- Write-ahead logging (WAL)
- Checkpoint mechanisms
- Recovery procedures
Create (Insert)
-- Insert single document
INSERT INTO users {
name: "Alice Johnson",
email: "alice@example.com",
age: 28,
created_at: NOW()
};
-- Insert multiple documents
INSERT INTO products VALUES
{id: 1, name: "Laptop", price: 999.99},
{id: 2, name: "Mouse", price: 29.99},
{id: 3, name: "Keyboard", price: 79.99};
Read (Select)
-- Simple select
SELECT * FROM users WHERE age > 25;
-- With specific fields
SELECT name, email FROM users
WHERE age BETWEEN 25 AND 35
ORDER BY name ASC;
-- With aggregation
SELECT department, COUNT(*) as employee_count,
AVG(salary) as avg_salary
FROM employees
GROUP BY department
HAVING avg_salary > 50000;
Update
-- Update single document
UPDATE users
SET age = 29, updated_at = NOW()
WHERE id = 123;
-- Conditional update
UPDATE products
SET price = price * 0.9
WHERE category = "electronics" AND stock > 100;
Delete
-- Delete with condition
DELETE FROM sessions
WHERE last_activity < DATE_SUB(NOW(), INTERVAL 30 DAY);
-- Delete all (use with caution)
DELETE FROM temp_data;
-- Inner join
SELECT u.name, o.order_id, o.total
FROM users u
INNER JOIN orders o ON u.id = o.user_id
WHERE o.status = "completed";
-- Left join
SELECT c.name, COUNT(o.id) as order_count
FROM customers c
LEFT JOIN orders o ON c.id = o.customer_id
GROUP BY c.id, c.name;
-- Graph traversal join
SELECT p.name, f.name as friend_name
FROM persons p
GRAPH_JOIN friends_edge ON p.id = friends_edge.from_id
GRAPH_JOIN persons f ON friends_edge.to_id = f.id
WHERE p.id = 1;
-- String functions
SELECT UPPER(name), LENGTH(email), SUBSTRING(phone, 1, 3)
FROM users;
-- Date functions
SELECT DATE_FORMAT(created_at, '%Y-%m-%d') as date,
DATEDIFF(NOW(), created_at) as days_old
FROM orders;
-- Conditional expressions
SELECT name,
CASE
WHEN age < 18 THEN 'Minor'
WHEN age < 65 THEN 'Adult'
ELSE 'Senior'
END as age_group
FROM users;
Docker Installation
# Pull ThemisDB image
docker pull themisdb/themisdb:latest
# Run container
docker run -d \
--name themisdb \
-p 8529:8529 \
-v themisdb-data:/var/lib/themisdb \
themisdb/themisdb:latestBinary Installation
# Download and extract
wget https://download.themisdb.com/latest/themisdb-linux.tar.gz
tar -xzf themisdb-linux.tar.gz
cd themisdb
# Start server
./bin/themisdb-server --config config/themisdb.confPackage Manager
# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install themisdb
# CentOS/RHEL
sudo yum install themisdb
# macOS
brew install themisdb# themisdb.conf
[server]
endpoint = tcp://0.0.0.0:8529
authentication = true
[database]
directory = /var/lib/themisdb
wal-directory = /var/lib/themisdb/wal
[logging]
level = info
file = /var/log/themisdb/themisdb.log
[cache]
size = 2GB
[replication]
enabled = false/var/lib/themisdb/
├── data/ # Database files
├── wal/ # Write-ahead logs
├── temp/ # Temporary files
└── backups/ # Backup files
/var/log/themisdb/
└── themisdb.log # Server logs
/etc/themisdb/
└── themisdb.conf # Configuration
-- Create user
CREATE USER 'alice' IDENTIFIED BY 'SecureP@ssw0rd';
-- Grant privileges
GRANT READ, WRITE ON DATABASE mydb TO alice;
-- Grant specific table access
GRANT SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE ON mydb.orders TO alice;
-- Revoke privileges
REVOKE WRITE ON DATABASE mydb FROM alice;
-- Drop user
DROP USER alice;
Password Authentication
# Connect with username/password
themisdb-client --server localhost:8529 \
--username alice \
--password SecureP@ssw0rdJWT Token Authentication
# Connect with JWT token
themisdb-client --server localhost:8529 \
--auth-type jwt \
--token eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIs...[ssl]
enabled = true
certificate = /etc/themisdb/ssl/server.crt
private-key = /etc/themisdb/ssl/server.key
ca-certificate = /etc/themisdb/ssl/ca.crt[server]
# Bind to specific interface
endpoint = tcp://192.168.1.10:8529
# Firewall rules (iptables)
# Allow only from specific IPs- ThemisDB User Manual: Complete reference guide
- AQL Language Reference: Query syntax and functions
- Installation Guide: Platform-specific setup instructions
- Security Guide: Authentication and authorization
- API Documentation: REST and native APIs
- ThemisDB Fundamentals (Self-paced, 20 hours)
- Introduction to AQL (Video series, 10 hours)
- ThemisDB for Developers (Interactive tutorials, 15 hours)
- Lab 1: Installation and initial setup (2 hours)
- Lab 2: Basic CRUD operations (3 hours)
- Lab 3: Joins and aggregations (3 hours)
- Lab 4: User management and security (2 hours)
- Lab 5: Backup and restore (2 hours)
- ThemisDB Cloud Sandbox: Free 30-day access
- Docker Development Environment: Local setup
- Interactive AQL Console: Online query practice
- ThemisDB Forum: Q&A and discussions
- Stack Overflow: Tag: themisdb
- GitHub Issues: Bug reports and feature requests
- YouTube Channel: Tutorial videos
- "Getting Started with ThemisDB" (Official Guide)
- "Multi-Model Databases Explained"
- "Modern Database Systems"
Objective: Install and configure ThemisDB
Tasks:
- Install ThemisDB using your preferred method
- Start the database server
- Connect using the CLI client
- Create a new database named "practice"
- Verify the installation
Expected Outcome: Successful connection to database
Objective: Perform CRUD operations
Tasks:
- Create a collection named "employees"
- Insert 10 employee records with fields: id, name, department, salary
- Query all employees in "Engineering" department
- Update salary for employees with salary < 50000 (increase by 10%)
- Delete employees with id > 100
Expected Outcome: Successfully manipulate employee data
Objective: Write complex queries
Tasks:
- Create "departments" and "projects" collections
- Establish relationships between employees, departments, and projects
- Write query to find employees working on multiple projects
- Calculate average salary by department
- Find departments with no employees
Expected Outcome: Accurate query results
Objective: Configure security
Tasks:
- Create three users: admin, developer, analyst
- Grant appropriate permissions to each user
- Test permissions by connecting as each user
- Revoke write access from analyst
- Document security configuration
Expected Outcome: Proper access control implemented
Objective: Protect data
Tasks:
- Create backup of practice database
- Delete some data from the database
- Restore from backup
- Verify data integrity after restore
- Automate backup script
Expected Outcome: Successful backup and restoration
Question 1: What does ACID stand for in database transactions?
- A) Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, Durability
- B) Authentication, Confidentiality, Integrity, Durability
- C) Atomicity, Confidentiality, Isolation, Distribution
- D) Authentication, Consistency, Integrity, Distribution
Answer: A
Question 2: Which isolation level prevents dirty reads but allows non-repeatable reads?
- A) Read Uncommitted
- B) Read Committed
- C) Repeatable Read
- D) Serializable
Answer: B
Question 3: In ThemisDB's multi-model architecture, which model is best suited for storing social network connections?
- A) Document Model
- B) Key-Value Model
- C) Graph Model
- D) Time-Series Model
Answer: C
Question 4: What is the purpose of sharding in ThemisDB?
- A) To encrypt data at rest
- B) To distribute data across multiple nodes for scalability
- C) To compress data for storage efficiency
- D) To validate data integrity
Answer: B
Question 5: Which component is responsible for parsing and optimizing AQL queries?
- A) Storage Engine
- B) Query Engine
- C) Transaction Manager
- D) Replication Layer
Answer: B
Question 6: What is the correct syntax to insert a document into a collection?
- A)
ADD INTO users {name: "John"}; - B)
INSERT users VALUES {name: "John"}; - C)
INSERT INTO users {name: "John"}; - D)
CREATE users {name: "John"};
Answer: C
Question 7: Which clause is used to filter aggregated results?
- A) WHERE
- B) FILTER
- C) HAVING
- D) CONDITION
Answer: C
Question 8: What does the following query return?
SELECT department, COUNT(*) as total
FROM employees
GROUP BY department
ORDER BY total DESC
LIMIT 3;
- A) Top 3 employees by department
- B) Top 3 departments by employee count
- C) First 3 departments alphabetically
- D) Random 3 departments
Answer: B
Question 9: How do you perform a LEFT JOIN in AQL?
- A)
SELECT * FROM a, b WHERE a.id = b.id; - B)
SELECT * FROM a LEFT JOIN b ON a.id = b.id; - C)
SELECT * FROM a OUTER JOIN b ON a.id = b.id; - D)
SELECT * FROM a JOIN b LEFT ON a.id = b.id;
Answer: B
Question 10: Which function returns the current timestamp?
- A) CURRENT_TIME()
- B) NOW()
- C) TIMESTAMP()
- D) GETDATE()
Answer: B
Question 11: Which configuration parameter controls the memory allocated to the cache?
- A)
[cache] memory - B)
[cache] size - C)
[server] cache-size - D)
[database] cache-memory
Answer: B
Question 12: What is the default port for ThemisDB server?
- A) 3306
- B) 5432
- C) 8529
- D) 27017
Answer: C
Question 13: Which directory stores the write-ahead logs by default?
- A)
/var/lib/themisdb/data - B)
/var/lib/themisdb/wal - C)
/var/log/themisdb - D)
/etc/themisdb/logs
Answer: B
Question 14: How do you start ThemisDB in Docker?
- A)
docker start themisdb - B)
docker run themisdb/themisdb - C)
docker exec themisdb start - D)
docker compose up themisdb
Answer: B
Question 15: Which command checks the ThemisDB server status?
- A)
themisdb status - B)
themisdb-server --status - C)
systemctl status themisdb - D) All of the above
Answer: C (on Linux with systemd)
Question 16: What is the correct syntax to create a new user?
- A)
NEW USER 'alice' PASSWORD 'secret'; - B)
CREATE USER 'alice' IDENTIFIED BY 'secret'; - C)
ADD USER alice WITH PASSWORD 'secret'; - D)
INSERT USER alice PASSWORD='secret';
Answer: B
Question 17: Which privilege allows a user to read data from a database?
- A) SELECT
- B) READ
- C) VIEW
- D) GET
Answer: B (In ThemisDB's privilege model)
Question 18: What is the purpose of TLS/SSL in ThemisDB?
- A) To compress data
- B) To encrypt data in transit
- C) To authenticate users
- D) To backup data
Answer: B
Question 19: Which authentication method uses tokens?
- A) Basic Authentication
- B) Certificate Authentication
- C) JWT Authentication
- D) Kerberos
Answer: C
Question 20: What should you do after creating a new user with administrative privileges?
- A) Nothing, user is ready to use
- B) Restart the database
- C) Change the default password
- D) Grant specific permissions
Answer: C (Security best practice)
Question 21: Which command creates a backup of a database?
- A)
BACKUP DATABASE mydb TO '/backup/mydb.bak'; - B)
DUMP DATABASE mydb > /backup/mydb.dump; - C)
EXPORT DATABASE mydb TO '/backup/mydb'; - D)
COPY DATABASE mydb TO '/backup/mydb';
Answer: A
Question 22: What is the purpose of the write-ahead log (WAL)?
- A) To improve query performance
- B) To ensure durability of transactions
- C) To compress database files
- D) To replicate data to other nodes
Answer: B
Question 23: Which metric indicates potential performance issues?
- A) Low CPU usage
- B) High query latency
- C) Low disk I/O
- D) High available memory
Answer: B
Question 24: How often should you perform database backups in production?
- A) Never, databases auto-backup
- B) Only before major updates
- C) Regularly based on RPO requirements
- D) Only when requested
Answer: C
Question 25: What is the first step in troubleshooting a connection issue?
- A) Restart the database
- B) Check server logs
- C) Reinstall ThemisDB
- D) Contact support
Answer: B
Question 26: You need to design a schema for an e-commerce application storing products, customers, and orders. Which data model(s) should you use?
- A) Document model only
- B) Graph model only
- C) Document model for products/customers, graph model for recommendations
- D) Key-value model for everything
Answer: C
Question 27: Your application requires reading the same data multiple times within a transaction with guaranteed consistency. Which isolation level should you use?
- A) Read Uncommitted
- B) Read Committed
- C) Repeatable Read
- D) Any level works
Answer: C
Question 28: You notice slow query performance on a frequently-accessed table. What should you check first?
- A) Server hardware
- B) Network bandwidth
- C) Index configuration
- D) Replication lag
Answer: C
Question 29: A user reports they cannot connect to ThemisDB. They get "Authentication failed" error. What's the most likely cause?
- A) Server is down
- B) Incorrect username or password
- C) Network firewall blocking connection
- D) Database is corrupted
Answer: B
Question 30: You need to grant read-only access to an external reporting tool. What's the best approach?
- A) Share admin credentials
- B) Create a user with READ privileges only
- C) Disable authentication temporarily
- D) Export data to CSV files
Answer: B
To pass the ThemisDB Fundamentals Certification, you must:
- Score 70% or higher (18/25 questions minimum)
- Complete exam within 90 minutes
- Answer all questions (no partial credit)
- Adhere to exam policies (no cheating, no external resources)
| Topic Area | Questions | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture and Concepts | 5-6 | 20% |
| Data Models | 3-4 | 15% |
| AQL Query Language | 6-8 | 25% |
| Installation and Configuration | 4-5 | 15% |
| Security Fundamentals | 4-5 | 15% |
| Operations Basics | 2-3 | 10% |
| Total | 25-30 | 100% |
- Multiple Choice: 1 point per question
- Multiple Select: All correct answers required for credit
- Scenario-Based: 1-2 points based on complexity
- Results available immediately upon exam completion
- Detailed score report provided
- Performance breakdown by topic area
- Recommended study areas for failed attempts
Total Duration: 90 minutes
Breakdown:
- Tutorial and agreement: 5 minutes
- Exam questions: 75 minutes
- Survey: 5 minutes
- Buffer: 5 minutes
25-30 Total Questions
├── 15-18 Multiple Choice (single answer)
├── 5-7 Multiple Select (multiple correct answers)
└── 5-6 Scenario-Based (applied knowledge)
Online Proctored:
- Webcam and microphone required
- Screen recording active
- Live proctor monitoring
- Secure browser required
- ID verification at start
Testing Center:
- Government-issued ID required
- No personal items allowed
- Provided: scratch paper, pencil
- Quiet, proctored environment
Allowed:
- Note-taking on provided materials
- Calculator (provided in software)
- Bathroom breaks (time continues)
Not Allowed:
- External resources (documentation, books)
- Communication with others
- Mobile phones or devices
- Notes or cheat sheets
- Screen capture or recording
Immediate:
- Pass/Fail notification
- Preliminary score
Within 48 hours:
- Digital certificate
- Verification badge
- Detailed score report
- Certificate ID for verification
- Digital Badge: Shareable credential with unique verification ID
- Certificate: PDF and printed versions available
- Transcript: Official record of achievement
- Directory Listing: Optional profile in certified professionals database
- Resume Enhancement: Industry-recognized credential
- Job Opportunities: Access to ThemisDB job board
- Salary Premium: Average 15% increase for certified professionals
- Career Growth: Foundation for advanced certifications
- Certified Community: Private forum access
- Updates: Early notification of new features
- Discounts: 20% off training courses
- Events: Invitations to certification holder events
- Verification: Instant credential verification for employers
- Skills Validation: Proven ThemisDB competency
- Professional Development: Continuing education requirements
- Quality Assurance: Standardized knowledge baseline
2 years from certification date
- Duration: 45 minutes (50% of original)
- Questions: 12-15 questions
- Cost: $75 (50% discount)
- Focus: New features and updates since last certification
Earn 20 CEUs over 2 years:
| Activity | CEUs |
|---|---|
| Advanced certification (TQE, TOC, TSC) | 20 (auto-renews TDF) |
| Official training course completion | 5-10 |
| Conference attendance | 2-5 |
| Webinar participation | 1-2 |
| Technical blog post | 2 |
| Open-source contribution | 3-5 |
| Speaking engagement | 5-10 |
- Earning TQE, TOC, or TSC automatically renews TDF
- No additional renewal exam required
- Log into certification portal
- Choose renewal method
- Complete requirements
- Submit documentation (if CEU path)
- Receive updated credential (within 5 business days)
If certification expires:
- Grace Period: 3 months with 10% late fee
- After Grace: Must retake full exam
- No Transfer: CEUs don't transfer to new exam
- Download Certificate: Save PDF and print copies
- Add Badge to LinkedIn: Share your achievement
- Update Resume: Include certification details
- Join Community: Access certified professionals forum
- Plan Next Certification: Consider TQE, TOC, or TSC
For Developers:
- Pursue Query Expert Certification (TQE)
- Focus on application development
- Master advanced AQL techniques
For DBAs:
- Pursue Operations Certification (TOC)
- Focus on production management
- Master monitoring and optimization
For Security Roles:
- Pursue Security Certification (TSC)
- Focus on compliance and hardening
- Master security best practices
For Architects:
- Pursue all advanced certifications
- Design enterprise solutions
- Lead ThemisDB initiatives
- Subscribe: ThemisDB newsletter and blog
- Participate: Community forums and discussions
- Practice: Regular hands-on work with ThemisDB
- Share: Write articles, present at meetups
- Contribute: Open-source contributions
Week 1-2: Architecture and Concepts
- Read ThemisDB architecture documentation
- Watch video tutorials on multi-model databases
- Complete Lab 1: Installation
- Study time: 10-12 hours
Week 3: AQL Fundamentals
- Learn AQL syntax and basics
- Practice CRUD operations
- Complete Lab 2: Basic Operations
- Study time: 8-10 hours
Week 4: Advanced AQL
- Master joins and aggregations
- Practice complex queries
- Complete Lab 3: Advanced Queries
- Study time: 8-10 hours
Week 5: Security and Operations
- Learn user management
- Practice backup/restore
- Complete Labs 4 & 5
- Study time: 8-10 hours
Week 6: Review and Practice
- Take practice exams
- Review weak areas
- Final hands-on exercises
- Study time: 10-12 hours
Total Study Time: 44-54 hours over 6 weeks
Email: certification@themisdb.com
Phone: +1-555-THEMISDB
Hours: Monday-Friday, 9 AM - 5 PM EST
Forum: community.themisdb.com
Slack: themisdb-cert.slack.com
Stack Overflow: Tag: themisdb
Before Exam: cert-support@themisdb.com
During Exam: Use chat feature in exam portal
After Exam: results@themisdb.com
We provide accommodations for candidates with disabilities:
- Extended time
- Screen readers
- Alternative formats
- Contact: accessibility@themisdb.com
Q: How difficult is the TDF exam?
A: With proper preparation (40-60 hours of study), most candidates with basic database experience pass on their first attempt. The 70% passing score is achievable.
Q: Can I use documentation during the exam?
A: No, the exam is closed-book. You must rely on your knowledge and memory.
Q: How long until I receive my certificate?
A: Digital certificate and badge are issued within 48 hours of passing.
Q: Can I retake if I fail?
A: Yes, after a 14-day waiting period. Retake fee is $75.
Q: Is hands-on experience required?
A: While not mandatory, 3-6 months of hands-on experience significantly improves your chances of passing.
Q: Are there prerequisites?
A: No formal prerequisites, but basic database knowledge is recommended.
Q: How is this different from other database certifications?
A: TDF focuses specifically on ThemisDB's unique multi-model capabilities and AQL query language.
Q: Can I take the exam in my native language?
A: Currently English only. Spanish, Chinese, and Japanese coming in 2025.
Q: What if I have technical issues during the exam?
A: Use the chat feature immediately. Your exam will be paused while issues are resolved.
Q: Do I need to renew my certification?
A: Yes, every 2 years to stay current with ThemisDB developments.
- Study Consistently: 1-2 hours daily is better than cramming
- Practice Hands-On: Actually install and use ThemisDB
- Take Practice Exams: Identify weak areas early
- Join Study Groups: Learn from others
- Get Enough Sleep: Be well-rested on exam day
- Read Carefully: Understand what each question asks
- Manage Time: Don't spend too long on any question
- Flag for Review: Mark uncertain questions to revisit
- Eliminate Wrong Answers: Narrow down options
- Stay Calm: Take deep breaths if feeling anxious
- Review Score Report: Understand performance by topic
- If Failed: Study weak areas and retake after 14 days
- If Passed: Share achievement and plan next steps
- Provide Feedback: Help improve the certification program
- Stay Current: Continue learning about ThemisDB
Ready to get certified? Register today and start your journey!
Register for TDF Certification →
Last Updated: January 2025
Version: 1.0
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