NOSQL

INTRODUCTION

• NoSQL, also referred to as “not only SQL”, “non-SQL”, is an approach to database

design that enables the storage and querying of data outside the traditional structures
found in relational databases.
• While it can still store data found within relational database management systems
(RDBMS), it just stores it differently compared to an RDBMS.
• The decision to use a relational database versus a non-relational database is largely
contextual, and it varies depending on the use case.
• NoSQL is also type of distributed database, which means that information is copied and
stored on various servers, which can be remote or local. This ensures availability and
reliability of data. If some of the data goes offline, the rest of the database can continue to
run.
• Today, companies need to manage large data volumes at high speeds with the ability to
scale up quickly to run modern web applications in nearly every industry. In this era of
growth within cloud, big data, and mobile and web applications, NoSQL databases
provide that speed and scalability, making it a popular choice for their performance and
ease of use.
TYPES OF NOSQL DATABASE

• NoSQL provides other options for organizing data in many ways. By offering diverse data
structures, NoSQL can be applied to data analytics, managing big data, social networks, and
mobile app development.
• A NoSQL database manages information using any of these primary data models:
• Key-value store
• Document store
• Wide-column store
• Graph store
• In-memory store
WHEN TO CHOOSE A NOSQL DATABASE?

• With businesses and organizations needing to innovate rapidly, being able to stay agile
and continue operating at any scale is the name of the game. NoSQL databases offer
flexible schemas and also support a variety of data models that are ideal for building
applications that require large data volumes and low latency or response times—for
example, online gaming and ecommerce web applications
WHEN NOT TO CHOOSE A NOSQL DATABASE?

• NoSQL databases typically rely on de-normalized data, supporting the types of

applications that use fewer tables (or containers) and whose data relationships are not
modeled using references, but rather as embedded records (or documents). Many classic
back-office business applications in finance, accounting, and enterprise resource planning
rely on highly normalized data to prevent data anomalies as well as data duplication.
These are the typically the types of applications that are not a good fit for a NoSQL
Database.
• Another distinction of NoSQL databases is query complexity. NoSQL databases work
phenomenally well with queries against a single table. However, as the complexity of the
queries increase, relational databases are a better choice. NoSQL database typically do not
offer complex joins, sub-queries, and nesting of queries in a WHERE clause.
• Sometimes, though, there doesn’t need to be a choice between relational and nonrelational
databases. On many occasions, companies have opted for databases that offer a converged
model, in which they are able to employ a combination of a relational and nonrelational
data models. This hybrid approach offers increased flexibility in handling different types of
data, while also ensuring read and write consistency without degrading performance.
QUIZ

• Differentiate between SQL and NoSQL

• Differentiate between unstructured and semi-structured
• In details explain the types of NoSQL.
ADVANTAGES OF NOSQL

• Each type of NoSQL database has strengths that make it better for specific use cases.
However, they all share the following advantages for developers and create the framework
to provide better service customers, including:
• Cost-effectiveness: It is expensive to maintain high-end, commercial RDBMS. They require the
purchase of licenses, trained database managers, and powerful hardware to scale
vertically. NoSQL databases allow you to quickly scale horizontally, better allocating resources
to minimize costs.
• Flexibility: Horizontal scaling and a flexible data model also mean NoSQL databases can address
large volumes of rapidly changing data, making them great for agile development, quick
iterations, and frequent code pushes.
 • Replication: NoSQL replication functionality copies and stores data across multiple servers.
This replication provides data reliability, ensuring access during down time and protecting
against data loss if servers go offline.
• Speed: NoSQL enables faster, more agile storage and processing for all users, from developers
to sales teams to customers. Speed also makes NoSQL databases generally a better fit for
modern, complex web applications, e-commerce sites, or mobile applications.

• In a nutshell, NoSQL databases provide high performance, availability, and scalability.

NOSQL USE CASES

• The structure and type of NoSQL database you choose will depend on how your organization plans
to use it. Here are some specific uses for various types of NoSQL databases.
• Managing data relationships: Managing the complex aggregation of data and the relationships between
these points is typically handled with a graph-based NoSQL database. This includes recommendation
engines, knowledge graphs, fraud detection applications, and social networks, where connections are made
between people using various data types.
• Low-latency performance: Gaming, home fitness applications, and ad technology all require high
throughput for real-time data management. This infrastructure provides the greatest value to the consumer,
whether that’s market bidding updates or returning the most relevant ads. Web applications require in-
memory NoSQL databases to provide rapid response time and manage spikes in usage without the lag that
can comes with disk storage.
• Scaling and large data volumes: E-commerce requires the ability to manage huge spikes in
usage, whether it’s for a one-day sale or the holiday shopping season. Key-value databases are
frequently used in e-commerce applications because its simple structure is easily scaled up
during times of heavy traffic. This agility is valuable to gaming, adtech, and Internet of Things
(IoT) applications.
NOSQL DATABASE CHALLENGES

• NoSQL databases offer a number of benefits, but that doesn’t mean they are magical. There are several potential
downsides that you should keep in mind when choosing a database for your application.
• Data model complexity

While the flexible data model of NoSQL databases is often a selling point, it can also become a major issue if an
engineering team isn’t disciplined. It can result in issues coordinating on how the data model should look and
where data should be located. It can also result in conflicting data or duplicate data.
• Complex transaction support

For some applications where data reliability for advanced transactions is needed, NoSQL might not make sense.
Most NoSQL databases will provide some form of simple transaction support, but not ACID transactions. And
often for NoSQL DBs that do offer ACID transactions, enabling them will result in losing promised performance
gains.
 • Maturity

While popular relational databases like MySQL and Postgres are battle tested due to having
been around for decades, many NoSQL projects aren’t as mature. This can result in obscure
bugs, less community support, and the tool ecosystem being less robust.
• Data consistency

Database performance follows CAP theorem, which means you can only have 2 out of 3 when
it comes to Consistency, Availability, or Partition tolerance. Most NoSQL databases sacrifice
consistency to get better performance in other areas, which means you should only use this
type of database for use cases where eventual consistency is acceptable.