NoSQL – Introduction:
When we talk about something, we frequently compare it to something else to make it easier to grasp. We bring up the subject of SQL (referring to SQL product) in order to comprehend what NoSQL is, either to identify the differences or to compare the similarities. There are several websites that explain the differences between SQL and NoSQL, but I’m attempting to compile a comprehensive list.
This is for you if you are not familiar with SQL:
SQL is the standard language for working with relational databases. A relational database uses tables to define relationships. The table stores all of the information in rows and columns. RDBMS was first introduced in the 1970s and has grown in popularity over the years, and it is still unrivaled. SQL is used in relational databases such as MySQL, Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, Sybase, and others.
Now, let’s talk about NoSQL.
A NoSQL database allows data to be stored and retrieved using methods other than tabular relations. NoSQL is a non-relational database management system (DBMS) that does not require a fixed schema, eliminates joins, and is scalable. For distributed data repositories with large data storage requirements, NoSQL DB is utilized. Big data and real-time web apps both employ NoSQL.
The key differences are listed below.
- SQL is solely works with structured data in general. In contrast, NoSQL is divided into four categories: Column Based (BigTable, Cassandra, Hbase, etc.), Graph (Neo4J, InfoGrid, Flock DB, etc.), Document (MongoDB, CouchDB, RavenDB, etc.), and Key-Value (Riak, Memcached, Redis Server, etc.), to deal with structured, semi-structured, unstructured, and polymorphic data.
- SQL has been proved to be adequate (if the data is structured) for both OLTP and OLAP, but NoSQL, which is better for unstructured data, is a better fit for OLAP.
- SQL is good for complex queries whereas NoSQL unsuitable for it.
- SQL databases scale vertically, but NoSQL databases scale horizontally.
- SQL databases use a predefined schema, whereas NoSQL databases utilize a dynamic model.
- When comparing the performance of NoSQL vs SQL, SQL requires specialist database hardware, whereas NoSQL employs commodity hardware.
- ACID (Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, and Durability) is an RDBMS standard, while BASE (Basically Available, Soft State, Eventually Consistent) is a NoSQL system paradigm.
MongoDB
MongoDB is an open-source document database which is written in the C++ programming language. It’s a prominent and leading NoSQL database in the market because of its features.
MongoDB is a cross-platform document-oriented database software that is open source and works with JSON-like documents and optional schemas. MongoDB queries can return particular fields from documents or a random sample of results of a certain size. Indexing can assist you improve your performance. There is a high level of availability and replica sets are available. Apart from that, Sharding feature helps to scale horizontally.
MongoDB can be distributed over several servers, balancing the load or replicating data to keep the system operational in the event of hardware failure. This is a database that can be used as a file system too.
Unlike other NoSQL databases, MongoDB in its latest versions supports ACID properties.
Hope you find this article helpful.
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Big Data and SQL 