Database Concepts

Database hosting is a service provided by a database host company (usually a cloud data center or cloud provider) that includes everything you need to run your chosen database. Database hosts provide security to keep your data safe, and scalability to ensure your data and data operations can grow when needed. Some hosts also offer other database-related services that can help your team innovate or gain a competitive edge.

Data replication is the process of copying one or more records from one place to another. These places could be very similar (like copying files within the same database) or more distinct (like copying data from one database to another). The term data replication typically implies keeping data up to date from the source to the destination, but the speed and level of automation of replication can impact data consistency.

There are many different types of databases because different kinds of data and application requirements call for different approaches to data storage and retrieval. Each type of database is optimized for specific use cases, data models, scalability needs, and performance characteristics. As you’ll see below, it’s common for a particular database to fall into more than one category. Also, multi-model databases like Couchbase are specifically designed to support multiple data models to increase versatility while minimizing complexity, management, data sprawl, and costs.

The term “cloud migration” refers to moving an organization’s business application infrastructure – including data storage, data processing, and computing resources – from on-premises data centers to the cloud, or from one cloud to another cloud.

Serverless databases are elastically scaling databases that don’t expose the infrastructure they operate on. They make it simpler to develop applications because you don’t have to worry about managing your servers. And serverless databases are often a good choice for cost-conscious developers and enterprises because you can license them through a consumption model and pay only for what you use.

Database sharding is a powerful tool for optimizing the performance and scalability of a database. It allows for faster access to data and enables a database to handle larger workloads by distributing data and processing power across multiple servers. Because NoSQL databases are designed with distributed computing and automatic sharding in mind, they’re often the databases most associated with sharding. With enough effort, though, sharding can be achieved with any database technology.

Database scalability is not just the ability of a database to handle more load but also to improve performance as the business demands on an application increase. Note that scaling doesn’t just mean scaling resources up to meet greater demand but also down if demand decreases.

A data platform is infrastructure that allows organizations to manage, store, process, and analyze large volumes of data. It typically includes a combination of hardware, software, and tools designed to support data-related activities. The goal of a data platform is to enable businesses to use data in applications and make better decisions based on insights derived from data.

A technology stack (tech stack) allows you to combine software, tools, and services to build a web or mobile application. Each layer of a typical tech stack is responsible for a separate type of task, either presentation, application logic, or persistence.

A public cloud is the most prevalent cloud computing deployment. The term “public cloud” refers to shared, on-demand compute infrastructure delivered by third-party cloud service providers (CSPs) such as AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud. CSPs own and manage the underlying cloud resources such as servers, software, and storage.

JSON (which stands for JavaScript Object Notation) is a lightweight text-based data interchange format that’s easy for humans to read and write, and easy for machines to parse and generate. JSON is a popular choice for exchanging data between different systems, especially in web development.

BSON (which stands for Binary JSON) is a binary-encoded serialization format that supports additional data types and is natively supported only by MongoDB™.

Multicloud refers to an organization using multiple cloud computing platforms and services from different providers to meet its computing needs. Organizations choose a multicloud strategy to distribute workloads, applications, and data across multiple cloud environments. These cloud environments can include any combination of public, private, and hybrid clouds.

In-memory databases (IMDBs) are high-speed data storage systems that keep all data in the computer’s main memory (known as random access memory or RAM), making data retrieval and processing fast. This technology is ideal for applications that require real-time responses, like financial transactions, telecommunication systems, and online gaming. However, due to the volatile nature of RAM, these databases may use data replication to prevent data loss.

A cloud database is hosted on a cloud computing platform such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud. They offer a number of benefits over traditional on-premises databases, including scalability, availability, and cost-effectiveness.

Operational analytics uses real-time data from operational systems to inform the most immediate and appropriate action for any business situation. The data used for operational analytics typically comes from business systems such as POS (point of sale), ERP (enterprise resource planning), IoT (internet of things), and CRM (customer relationship management) systems.