---
title: "Workspace Overview"
component: "savanna"
version: "main"
module: "workgroup-workspace"
html_url: "/savanna/main/workgroup-workspace/workspaces/workspace.html"
---

[View as HTML](/savanna/main/workgroup-workspace/workspaces/workspace.html) · [Documentation index](/llms.txt)

# Workspace Overview

A **Workspace** is a compute unit within a TigerGraph database. It is where the graph processing and analytics take place. TigerGraph Savanna supports two types of workspaces: read-write workspaces and read-only workspaces.

* **Read-Write Workspaces (RW)**: These workspaces allow read and write operations on the graph data. They are typically used for data ingestion, data updates, and running queries that modify the graph structure or properties.
* **Read-Only Workspaces (RO)**: These workspaces are optimized for read-intensive operations. They are used for executing queries and analytics on the graph data without modifying it. Read-only workspaces provide improved performance and scalability for read operations.

> [!NOTE]
> The separation of compute and storage in workspaces allows for optimized performance and resource allocation, while the databases ensure the persistence and accessibility of the graph data.

* The **database** in TigerGraph Savanna refers to the actual data stored within the platform. It is separate from the workspaces and can be associated with one or more workspaces within a workgroup. It holds the persistent data that is loaded into TigerGraph and is accessible for graph analytics and visualization.

> [!NOTE]
> We only support a maximum of one Read-Write workspace to connect to a database.

## Operations prohibited in a Read-Only (RO) Workspace

Read-Only (RO) workspaces are optimized for read-intensive tasks and do not allow any operations that modify data or schemas. The following operations are strictly prohibited:

Database Operations

* Running "gsql --reset" command.
* Clearing the graph store.
* Executing the DROP ALL command.

Schema Management

* Updating schemas, including adding, updating, or dropping schema elements.
* Creating, dropping, or running schema change jobs.

Graph Management

* Creating or dropping graphs.
* Exporting or importing database data.

Data Modification

* Running any queries that modify the database data.
* Inserting, updating, or deleting data.
* Committing the data(such as new vertices or edges) in memory to disk. for example: rebuildnow operation

Loading Jobs

* Creating, deleting, or running loading jobs.
* Creating, deleting, pausing, restarting, or resuming connectors.
* Creating or updating data sources.

Backup and Restore

* Performing backup or restore operations.

## Next Steps

See [Create a workspace](how2-create-a-workspace.md) to get started.

Return to the [Workgroups and workspaces](../index.md) page or [Overview](../../overview/index.md) page for a different topic.