What is NoSQL Database?
NoSQL databases basically called as Not Only SQL database. These databases are non-relational database systems used for storing and retrieving data. Nowadays NoSQL Databases are predominantly utilized as real-time based web applications. NoSQL databases can therefore be called as Big Data databases or Cloud databases. NoSQL Databases are faster in compared to SQL Databases and thus it makes major part of Data applications.
Database design in relational models uses primary and foreign keys and follows strict constraints when the tables are created. The main motto of NoSQL is that the relational databases are good for smaller data storage requirements, but “big data” are mostly used to manage large queries. To properly manage big data queries NoSQL databases are appropriate which work differently than the relational databases.
| NoSQL features | Result |
| Big Data types | Structured, unstructured and semi-structured |
| Scalability | Excellent |
| Biggest NoSQL advantages | Large volumes of data, dynamic schemas, replication, auto-sharding |
NoSQL Database Types
Document Databases – These Database pair with each key of a complex data structure which is called a document. Documents will be in the form key-array pairs or key-value pairs or even nested documents.
Key-value stores – Every single item is stored as a Key-value pair. Key-value stores are the most simple and very easy to understand among NoSQL Databases.
Wide-column stores – These databases are optimized for queries over large data sets, and instead of rows, they store columns of data together.
Graph stores – These helps to store information in content with graphs, networks, such as social connections.
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Top NoSQL market players
CouchDB
- CouchDB is an Open Source NoSQL Database based on JSON to stores data and JavaScript in the form of query language.
- CouchDB is a multi-version controlling system for avoiding the blockage of the DB file scripting. It is basically Erlang authorized under Apache.
- It has been ranked as the best database in the year 2016 on the basis of its highest popularity among all the NoSQL Databases.
MongoDB
- MongoDB is the most popular among NoSQL Databases which is a free and open-source document-oriented database program.
- It is a scalable and accessible database.
- It is prescribed in C++ but uses JSON-like documents with schemas as JavaScript can be utilized as the query language.
- MongoDB scales horizontally which is preferable in JavaScript frameworks.
Cassandra
- Cassandra is a distributed data storage system from Apache for handling very large amounts of structured data and is highly scalable. Essentially, these data are widely used across many commodity servers, providing high availability with no failure till now.
- It gives you maximal flexibility for the distribution of data. It allows adding data storage to your service online and makes your task much easier. There is no scope for complex configuration as all the nodes in a cluster are the same.
- Cassandra is java based programming language that supports MapReduce on Apache Hadoop.
- Cassandra Query Language (CQL) is an SQL-like language for querying Cassandra Database.
Why are NoSQL Databases so popular?
Elastic scalability
These databases are highly scalable and allow adding more hardware. These are implemented to increase customers and provide service as per their requirements.
Architecture-based
Lesser failures or system downtimes as these are continuously available for business-critical applications.
These are linearly scalable and increase the throughput of a system which is directly proportional to the number of nodes in the cluster. Therefore it helps to maintain a quick response time.
Flexibility in data maintenance
The data storage includes: structured, semi-structured, and unstructured. The changes are done as per our requirements.
Easy data distribution
The distribution of data can be replicated across multiple data centers.
Fast writes
These databases are designed to run on cheap commodity hardware. They perform write operations at a blazingly fast speed and store hundreds of terabytes of data, without affecting read efficiency.
Bottom line
Though relational databases are quite prevalent in present times, NoSQL databases have gained prominence since the emergence of big data. Due to a wide array of benefits offered by NoSQL databases, companies are keen on deploying NoSQL databases for convenience, availability, and flexibility. Therefore getting trained in NoSQL technologies is an assurance of success.
