Databases must serve the enterprise technology of business, and this becomes a guiding factor when selecting databases for businesses.
Any user would first like to know which is the general type of database for a specific application.
The experts at RemoteDBA.com can be the best guide to sift through the variety of databases and pick one by focusing on its pros and cons.
They tell you, how well it meets the business needs with respect to the type of data and data volume.
There are many tech-overwhelming database surveys out there, yet they don’t generally give clear direction on the initial phase in choosing a database: picking the best broad sort for a particular application.
All databases are not made equivalent. Every one of them has explicit qualities and shortcoming.
While the facts confirm that workarounds exist to make a most loved database work for most undertakings, utilizing those stunts includes superfluous intricacy.
Before thinking about a particular database, set aside some effort to consider what type would best help the current task.
The inquiry goes further than “SQL versus NoSQL.” Read on for a summary of the most widely recognized database types, the general benefits of each, and how to tell which is best fit.
The project considerations are most important in database selection, and the right approach would be to consider a database that best supports all the needs of the project.
It means that you must delve deeper than just choosing between SQL and NoSQL databases.
In this article, we have discussed some of the most common database types along with its advantages and disadvantages, and how to determine the best fit for you.
For this article, we will discuss relational databases and document databases.
Relational Database Management Systems
The surge in data began during the 1970s that led to the development of relational databases capable of handling large data volumes.
These database systems have inspired and influenced almost all the database systems in use today.
Relational databases have tables consisting of columns and rows and store data sets in terms of ‘relations’ and as a value of a specific cell.
SQL or Structured Query Language is used for communicating with the database. SQL is a standardized database program that provides a level of utility and predictability.
The standardization of the databases became possible by implementing Codd’s (the creator E.F. Codd) 12 rules that are now mandatory for all relational database management systems.
The rules stipulate strict internal structure protocols to ensure that searches return reliable data against queries and preventstructural alterations by users.
The frameworks ensure the reliability and consistency of the relational databases, which remain to this day.
Advantages – Relational databases can excellently handle highly-structured data and support atomicity, consistency, isolation, and durability or ACID transactions.
Data storage and retrieval are easy by using SQL queries. Because it is easy to add data without the modification of existing data, scaling up the system is simple.
User restriction is built into the system that defines specific user access to certain types of data. This makes RDBMS suitable for applications that require tiered access.
Making limits on what certain client types can get to or change is incorporated with the structure of a RDBMS. Along these lines, social databases are appropriate to applications that require layered access.
For instance, clients could see their records while specialists could both view and roll out important improvements.
Disadvantages – Relational databases cannot handle unstructured data, and it is challenging to represent real-world entities in context by using RDBMS.
It requires reassembling sliced data from tables to make it something more readable, and it can affect speed. The fixed schema also does not react to change. These databases are more costly to set up and expand.
Relational databases like Oracle, MS Server, MySQL, and PostgreSQL are perfect for situations where data is highly structured, and data integrity is paramount, like for automation of internal processes.
Document Storedatabase
This is a no-relational database with a flexible schemathat stores data in XML, JSON or BSON documents.
Document store does not enforce document structure that would be necessary for SQL databases where users must assert the schema of a table before inserting data.
Documents can contain any desired data. For making querying easier,the databases have embedded attribute metadata andkey-value pairs.
Advantages–Flexibility is one of the biggest benefits of document store databases like Mongo DB and Couchbase that can handle unstructured and semi-structured data very well.
Users need not know what kind of data to store, and this is beneficial for situations when it is not clear what type of data is likely to come in.
It is possible to create the desired structure in any document without affecting the entire document. Schema modification does not cause downtime, and the write speed is fast too.
Document store databases are easy to scale horizontally, and the sharding necessary for it is more intuitive as compared to relational databases. Scaling is quick and efficient.
Disadvantages – The flexibility attained by the document store comes at the expense of ACID. It is not possible to post queries across several documents but remains confined to one document only.
Document store database is good for content management, in-depth data analysis, rapid prototyping, and of course, for unstructured data.
Key-Value Store
This is a non-relational database where each value is tied to a specific key, which many people term as an associate array.
The ‘key’ is a unique identifier attached only to the value. Anything that the DBMS allows can be deemed as a key. Values are storedin the form of lobs and do not require a pre-defined schema.
They can take almost any form – XML, HTML, JSON, PHP, images, binaries, lists, short videos, etc. Although some DBMS allows specifying the data type, it is not a must.
Advantages – The Redis, Memcached databasesare highly flexible and can handle a wide range of data types while assuring high performance. Overall, operating costs are lower, and the horizontal scaling is effortless.
Disadvantages–Querying values is not possible as values are stored in the form of blobs and can only be returned as values. This prohibits editing parts of values, and it is hard to do reporting.
Wide Column store
Wide column stores are dynamic column-oriented non-relational databases that have the attributes of traditional relational databases but sometimes seen as a variant of the key-value store too.
The databases do not use schema but instead the concept of a keyspace that encompasses column families, each containing several rows with distinct columns. But each row need not have the same type or number of columns.
Advantages– The benefits of both relational and non-relational databases are available from Wide column store databases.
It is easier to update and handles structures and semi-structured data well than other non-relational databases. It is faster to scale the database horizontally.
Disadvantages – Although bulk updating is easy, doing it for single records is difficult as it is also difficult to upload individual records.
The database is ideal for speed-driven big data analytics and for data warehousing of large-scale projects.
Search engine
It might appear to be peculiar to incorporate web indexes in an article about database types.
Be that as it may, Elastic search has considered expanded to be in this circle as designers search for creative approaches to chop down pursuit slack.
Elastic search is non relational, record-based information stockpiling and recovery arrangement explicitly masterminded and advanced for the capacity and fast recovery of information.
Advantages– Elastic search is truly adaptable. It highlights an adaptable diagram and quick recovery of records, with cutting edge search choices including full content inquiry, proposals, and complex pursuit articulations.
One of the most fascinating pursuit highlights is stemming. Stemming breaks down the root type of a word to discover pertinent records in any event, when another structure is utilized.
For instance, a client scanning a working database for “paying occupations” would likewise discover positions labeled as “paid” and “pay.”
Disadvantages – Elastic search is utilized more as a mediator or strengthening store than an essential database.
It has low strength and poor security. There’s no natural verification or access control. Likewise, Elastic search doesn’t bolster exchanges.
When in doubt, ask an expert.
In case you’re uncertain whether a database would be a solid match, connect on discussions, sites, or to sellers and start up a discussion.
This can be energizing as you inquire about which database innovations meet your necessities and which don’t.
Frequently there are reasonable choices that you haven’t considered. The open-source network is tied in with sharing information.
There is one significant thing to know about when contacting open source programming and administration merchants.
Many have open-center plans of action that boost embracing their database programming.
Think about their recommendation or direction while taking other factors into consideration and utilize your own capacity to investigate, make verifications of the idea, and investigate choices.
Conclusion
Picking the correct open source database is a significant choice. Start by posing the correct inquiries.
Very regularly, individuals put things in the wrong order, settling on choices before truly understanding their needs.
Author Bio
Kristen Smith is a web developer and experienced professional in database management and administration.
She says you must deploy credible companies like RemoteDBA.com to help you maintain and secure any database system with success!