> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.streamnative.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Overview - Stream Backed Tables

**Stream Backed Tables (Coming Soon)**

Stream Backed Tables (SBT) are topics inside StreamNative Cloud that store data in Ursa Format, the native, high-performance storage layer used by StreamNative’s Cost Optimized Clusters. This capability is currently not available and will be released in an upcoming version of StreamNative Cloud.

> [!NOTE]
>
> Stream Backed Tables were previously called Internal Tables. The new name avoids confusion with the external and internal table concepts used by lakehouse catalogs.

**Key Characteristics**

* **Stored in Ursa Format** -
  Data is written using a compact, high-throughput format optimized for streaming and low-latency access.

* **Fully Managed by StreamNative** -
  StreamNative will handle all storage lifecycle operations — retention, compaction, indexing, and metadata.

* **StreamNative-Native Performance** -
  Designed for fast ingestion, low latency, and operational efficiency within the StreamNative cloud environment.

* **Not Externally Queryable via Open Table Formats** -
  Stream Backed Tables are optimized for streaming workloads, not external analytics engines.

**When to Use Stream Backed Tables**

* You need low-latency ingestion and high-throughput streaming.
* You prefer StreamNative to manage all storage operations end-to-end.
* You don’t require external interoperability with Iceberg/Delta or an external Lakehouse system.

Note: Stream Backed Tables are under development and will be introduced soon. The feature description above outlines planned capabilities.


This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.