MIS2502 Extra Credit – NoSQL
No SQL was developed due to the increase in volume of data of current day. Relational databases are not designed to deal with such a large demand or the newly forming technology such as cloud computing. There are 4 basic types of NoSQL databases. A document database pairs each key to a complex data structure known as a document which allows for more flexibility in the database. Graph stores store information about networks. A graph store is similar to an ERD diagram the way it visually represents a database. The third type is Key-value stores, which are simple databases that contain every item in the database. The last type of NoSQL databases are wide-column stores. Wide-column stores are designed to handle queries of large datasets by storing data in columns instead of rows.
NoSQL databases are more scalable and efficient than relational databases. They are designed to handle the large volumes of data needed to analyze today. Unlike a relational database that requires schemas to be defined prior to adding data, NoSQL allows insertion of data without a schema which makes it quicker and easier to make real-time changes. NoSQL also takes advantage of auto-sharding allowing them to spread data over numerous different servers, leading to more efficient queries.
Examples of NoSQL systems in place today are MongoDB, Cassandra, HBase and Neo4j. MongoDB aims to upgrade relational databases to fully take advantage of all of the new technology in today’s society. Companies like Cisco, foursquare, MetLife and MTV all use MongoDB.
Like everything else discussed in class, NoSQL is designed to be more efficient than previous databases. With a forever changing technological climate we always need to be innovating to find the ‘best’ way to do something and NoSQL is beginning to make its way into companies. NoSQL builds further on SQL and the entire purpose of management information systems: to make data easier to access and analyze.
References:
“How a Database Can Make Your Organization Faster, Better, Leaner: A Playbook for the Enterprise Decision Maker.” NoSQL to Make Your Organization Faster, Better, Leaner. MongoDB, n.d. Web. 05 May 2014.
“NoSQL Databases Explained.” NoSQL & Big Data Database. MongoDB, n.d. Web. 05 May 2014.
“Why NoSQL?” What Is NoSQL Database & Why NoSQL. CouchBase, n.d. Web. 05 May 2014