Cassandra token range distribution with vnodes

Question

My cassandra cluster is setup with vnodes (num_tokens=32).

I want to know if the token range distribution across various nodes will change over time. The reason I am asking is we are planning to use tablesnap to backup the data - for disaster recovery. In the eventuality of needing to restore a new cluster, we need to restore using the token range method.

I am planning to take a backup of nodetool ring command for each of the nodes in S3 and then use it to restore in the new cluster. Would like to know if the token range distribution changes overtime.

Answer 1

The short answer is yes it could do if you add or remove nodes. The simplest way to test it is by setting up a 3 node cluster, checking nodetool ring, then adding a 4th and then rechecking.

You're probably better off restoring data into the cluster using something like sstableloader