A NoSQL database provides a mechanism for storage and retrieval of data that is modeled in means other than the tabular relations used in relational databases. Such databases have existed since the late 1960s, but did not obtain the "NoSQL" moniker until a surge of popularity in the early twenty-first century, triggered by the needs of Web 2.0 companies such as Facebook, Google, and Amazon.com. NoSQL databases are increasingly used in big data and real-time web applications.NoSQL systems are also sometimes called "Not only SQL" to emphasize that they may support SQL-like query languages.1
Resources
- What is NoSQL?
- NoSQL Database Design & Data Modeling
- Amazon DynamoDB: Building NoSQL Database-Driven Applications
Videos
GOTO 2012 • Introduction to NoSQL • Martin Fowler
Types
The key-value database defined
A key-value database is a type of nonrelational database that uses a simple key-value method to store data. A key-value database stores data as a collection of key-value pairs in which a key serves as a unique identifier. Both keys and values can be anything, ranging from simple objects to complex compound objects. Key-value databases are highly partitionable and allow horizontal scaling at scales that other types of databases cannot achieve. 1
The document database defined
A document database is a type of nonrelational database that is designed to store and query data as JSON-like documents. Document databases make it easier for developers to store and query data in a database by using the same document-model format they use in their application code. The flexible, semistructured, and hierarchical nature of documents and document databases allows them to evolve with applications’ needs. The document model works well with use cases such as catalogs, user profiles, and content management systems where each document is unique and evolves over time. Document databases enable flexible indexing, powerful ad hoc queries, and analytics over collections of documents. 2
The graph database defined
Graph databases are purpose-built to store and navigate relationships. Relationships are first-class citizens in graph databases, and most of the value of graph databases is derived from these relationships. Graph databases use nodes to store data entities, and edges to store relationships between entities. An edge always has a start node, end node, type, and direction, and an edge can describe parent-child relationships, actions, ownership, and the like. There is no limit to the number and kind of relationships a node can have. 3
Database Systems
MongoDB
Memcached
Redis
