The first generation of database revolutions occurred in the late 1960s and early 1970s when the relational model was first introduced. This was followed by the second generation of database revolutions in the late 1990s and early 2000s when NoSQL databases began to gain popularity.
There have been a lot of talks lately about the “NoSQL” database revolution. This term describes the new wave of open source, distributed, scalable databases built to handle the big data needs of today’s web-scale applications. NoSQL databases are a departure from the traditional, relational database model in several ways.
- NoSQL databases are designed to work with large data sets and provide high availability.
- NoSQL databases are horizontally scalable, meaning they can scale out by adding more nodes to the system.
- They are highly available and can continue functioning even if one or more nodes fail.
- They generally use a more simplified data model than relational databases. They often use key-value pairs or document-oriented storage or a graph model. This makes them easier to design and implement and allows them to be more flexible in storing data.
- They are often used in cloud computing environments where resources are dynamic and can be scaled up or down as needed.
- They are typically designed to be simple and easy to maintain.
- They are often designed with high availability and fault tolerance in mind. This means they can continue operating even if there are hardware or software failures.
- They are often designed for easy integration with other systems. This makes them a good choice in polyglot architectures, where different system components are written in different languages or use different database technologies.
- They are a powerful tool for handling big data, becoming increasingly popular as the need for web-scale applications continues to grow.
- They are designed to run on commodity hardware, using simple replicas to spread the load and data across multiple servers. This horizontal scaling allows them to handle large data sets and high traffic loads.
A database revolution is a process by which a database is created or updated to take advantage of new technologies or to improve performance.
There are four main steps in the generation of database revolutions in NoSQL:
- The first step is to identify the needs of the application.
- The second step is to choose the right database technology.
- The third step is to implement the database.
- The fourth step is to monitor the performance of the database.
Database Revolution:
The steps involved in a database revolution are as follows:
- Assess the current state of the database.
- Determine the goals of the update or revolution.
- Design the new database.
- Implement the new database.
- Test the new database.
- Go live with the new database.
Generations:
1. Relational Database: The first database revolution was the relational database in the 1970s, which organized data into tables with rows and columns. A relational database is a database that stores data in tables. Relational databases are based on the mathematical concept of Set theory and use a structured query language (SQL) for accessing and manipulating data. Tables are similar to folders in a file system, where each table contains a collection of information. A NoSQL database is a type of database that does not use the traditional table structure. NoSQL databases are made up of documents, and each document represents a record, Can store data in the form of tables and relations between those tables, and Can be queried using SQL.
Advantages:
- Data is easy to organize.
- Querying is straightforward.
- It can be used to enforce data integrity.
2. Object-Oriented Database: The second database revolution was the object-oriented database in the 1980s, which organized data into objects with attributes and methods. Object-oriented databases are based on the concepts of object-oriented programming and use an object-oriented query language (OQL) for accessing and manipulating data. An object-oriented database is a database that stores data in objects. Objects are similar to files in a file system, where each object contains a collection of information. It can store data in the form of objects.
Advantages:
- More flexible than relational databases.
- It can represent more complicated relationships between data.
- It can be easier to work with object-oriented programming languages.
3. XML Database: The third database revolution was the XML database in the 1990s, which organized data into XML documents. An XML database is a database that stores data in XML documents. XML documents are similar to files in a file system, where each XML document contains a collection of information, and can store data in the form of XML documents.
Advantages:
- It can be used to store semi-structured data.
- It can be queried using XPath.
- It can be easily integrated with web applications.
4. NoSQL Database: The fourth database revolution is the NoSQL database in the 2000s, which organizes data into key-value pairs, documents, columns, and graphs. A NoSQL database is a database that does not store data in tables, objects, or XML documents, and It can store data in a variety of formats.
Advantages:
- It can be more scalable than relational databases.
- It can be more suitable for working with large amounts of data.
- It can be more flexible in terms of schema.
5. Key-Value Pair Database:
The key-value pair database is the simplest NoSQL database and is often used for storing simple data such as configuration settings. A key-value pair database is a database that stores data in key-value pairs. A key-value pair has a key and a value. The key is used to identify the value of the data stored in the database, and It can store data in the form of key-value pairs.
Advantages:
- It can be more scalable than relational databases.
- It can be easier to work with than other NoSQL databases.
6. Document Database: The document database is more complex and is used for storing semi-structured or unstructured data. A document database is a database that stores data in documents. Documents are similar to files in a file system, where each document contains a collection of information, and It can store data in the form of documents.
Advantages:
- It can be more flexible than relational databases.
- It can be easier to work with than XML databases.
7. Column Database: The column database stores data organized into columns, such as financial data. A column database is a database that stores data in columns. Columns are similar to fields in a database table, where each column contains data collection. It can store data in the form of columns.
Advantages:
- It can be more scalable than relational databases.
- It can be more efficient for working with large amounts of data.
8. Graph Database: The graph database is the most complex NoSQL database for storing data organized into relationships. A graph database is a database that stores data in a graph. A graph is a collection of nodes and edges, where each node represents an entity, and each edge represents a relationship between two entities. It can store data in the form of graphs.
Advantages:
- It can be more flexible than relational databases.
- It can be better for representing certain types of relationships between data.