def init(self):
        """Init the connection to the Cassandra server."""
        if not self.export_enable:
            return None

        # if username and/or password are not set the connection will try to connect with no auth
        auth_provider = PlainTextAuthProvider(
            username=self.username, password=self.password)

        # Cluster
        try:
            cluster = Cluster([self.host],
                              port=int(self.port),
                              protocol_version=int(self.protocol_version),
                              auth_provider=auth_provider)
            session = cluster.connect()
        except Exception as e:
            logger.critical("Cannot connect to Cassandra cluster '%s:%s' (%s)" % (self.host, self.port, e))
            sys.exit(2)

        # Keyspace
        try:
            session.set_keyspace(self.keyspace)
        except InvalidRequest as e:
            logger.info("Create keyspace {} on the Cassandra cluster".format(self.keyspace))
            c = "CREATE KEYSPACE %s WITH replication = { 'class': 'SimpleStrategy', 'replication_factor': '%s' }" % (self.keyspace, self.replication_factor)
            session.execute(c)
            session.set_keyspace(self.keyspace)

        logger.info(
            "Stats will be exported to Cassandra cluster {} ({}) in keyspace {}".format(
                cluster.metadata.cluster_name, cluster.metadata.all_hosts(), self.keyspace))

        # Table
        try:
            session.execute("CREATE TABLE %s (plugin text, time timeuuid, stat map<text,float>, PRIMARY KEY (plugin, time)) WITH CLUSTERING ORDER BY (time DESC)" % self.table)
        except Exception:
            logger.debug("Cassandra table %s already exist" % self.table)

        return cluster, session