Introduction to NoSQL

• NoSQL system or "Not Only SQL"

• specifically for unstructured and
semi-structured data in very large quantities
• NoSQL allows flexible models to be organized
and horizontally scalable.
 Key Features of NoSQL Databases
• Dynamic schema: Allow flexible shaping of data to meet new requirements without
the need to migrate or change schemas.
• Horizontal scalability: They scale horizontally for adding more nodes into the
existing ones and acquire enough storage for even bigger datasets and much higher
traffic by distributing the load on multiple servers.
• Document-based: Data are presented in flexible, semi-structured formats like
JSON/BSON (e.g., MongoDB).
• Key-value-based: They possess a simple but fast access pattern (e.g., Redis) by
storing data as pairs of keys and values.
• Column-based: Data are organized into columns instead of rows (e.g., CASSANDRA).
• Distributed and high availability: They are designed to be highly available and to
automatically handle node failures and data replication across multiple nodes in a
database cluster.
• Flexibility: Allow developers to store and retrieve data in a flexible and dynamic
manner, with support for multiple data types and changing data structures.
• Performance: Perfect for big data and real-time analytics and high volume
applications.
 Why Use NoSQL?
• NoSQL databases do not have a universal query language.
In fact, each NoSQL database has its own approach to query
languages. Traditional relational databases will follow ACID
principles, assuring a strong consistency and a structured
relationship between the data.
• where scaling can be done horizontally by adding nodes
instead of upgrading the existing machine.
• Flexibility in supporting unstructured or semi-structured
data without a rigid schema.
• Optimized for fast read/write operations with large datasets
resulting in higher performance.
• Distributed Architecture to build highly available and
partition-tolerating system.
Types of NoSQL Databases
• Key-value stores
• Data is stored as key-value pairs, making retrieval extremely
fast.
• Optimized for caching and session storage.
• Examples: Redis, Memcached, Amazon DynamoDB
• Perfect for applications requiring session management,
real-time data caching, and leaderboards.
• 2. Column-family stores
• Data are stored in columns rather than rows, enabling
high-speed analytics and distributed computations.
• Efficient for handling large-scale data with high write/read
demands.
• Examples: Apache Cassandra, HBase, Google Bigtable
• Great for time-series data, IoT applications, and big data
analytics.
• 3. Graph databases
• Data are stored as nodes and edges, enabling complex
relationship management.
• Best suited for social networks, fraud detection, and
recommendation engines.
• Examples: Neo4j, Amazon Neptune, ArangoDB
• Useful for applications requiring relationship-based queries
such as fraud detection and social network analysis.
• 4. Document databases
• Store data in JSON, BSON or XML format.
• Data are stored as documents that can contain varying
attributes.
• Examples: MongoDB, CouchDB, Cloudant
• Ideal for content management systems, user profiles, and
catalogs where flexible schemas are needed.
 Challenges of NoSQL Databases
• Lack of standardization: NoSQL systems can be vastly different from one
another, making it even harder to choose the right one for a specific use
case.
• Lack of ACID compliance: NoSQL databases may not provide consistency,
which is a disadvantage for applications that need strict data integrity.
• Narrow focus: Great for storage but lack functionalities as transaction
management, in which relational databases are great.
• Absence of Complex Query Support: They are not designed to handle
complex queries, which means that they are not a good fit for applications
that require complex data analysis or reporting.
• Lack of maturity: Being relatively new, NoSQL may not have the reliability,
security and feature set of traditional relational databases.
• Management complexity: For large datasets, maintaining a NoSQL
database could be quite more complicated than managing a relational
database.
• Limited GUI Tools: While some NoSQL databases, like MongoDB offer GUI
tools like MongoDB Compass, not all NoSQL databases provide flexible or
user-friendly GUI tools.
 SQL vs. NoSQL
NoSQL (Non-Relational
Feature SQL (Relational DB)
DB)

Flexible (Documents,
Data Model Structured, Tabular
Key-Value, Graphs)

Scalability Vertical Scaling Horizontal Scaling

Schema Predefined Dynamic & Schema-less

Limited or Eventual
ACID Support Strong
Consistency

Transactional Big data, real-time

Best For
applications analytics

MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Cassandra,

Examples
Oracle Redis
 NoSQL Databases & Use Cases
NoSQL Database Type Use Cases

Content management,
MongoDB Document-based
product catalogs

Caching, real-time analytics,

Redis Key-Value Store
session storage

Big data, high availability

Cassandra Column-Family Store
systems

Fraud detection, social

Neo4j Graph Database
networks
NoSQL Data Architecture Patterns
• Architecture Pattern is a logical way of categorizing data
that will be stored on the Database. NoSQL is a type of
database which helps to perform operations on big data
and store it in a valid format. It is widely used because of its
flexibility and a wide variety of services.
Architecture Patterns of NoSQL:
The data is stored in NoSQL in any of the following four data
architecture patterns.
• 1. Key-Value Store Database
• 2. Column Store Database
• 3. Document Database
• 4. Graph Database
 1. Key-Value Store Database
• This model is one of the most basic models of
NoSQL databases. As the name suggests, the data
is stored in form of Key-Value Pairs. The key is
usually a sequence of strings, integers or
characters but can also be a more advanced data
type. The value is typically linked or co-related to
the key. The key-value pair storage databases
generally store data as a hash table where each
key is unique. The value can be of any type (JSON,
BLOB(Binary Large Object), strings, etc). This type
of pattern is usually used in shopping websites or
e-commerce applications.
1. Key-Value Store Database
 1. Key-Value Store Database
• Advantages:
• Can handle large amounts of data and heavy load,
• Easy retrieval of data by keys.
• Limitations:
• Complex queries may attempt to involve multiple
key-value pairs which may delay performance.
• Data can be involving many-to-many relationships
which may collide.
• Examples:
• DynamoDB
• Berkeley DB
 2. Column Store Database
• Rather than storing data in relational tuples, the
data is stored in individual cells which are further
grouped into columns. Column-oriented
databases work only on columns. They store large
amounts of data into columns together. Format
and titles of the columns can diverge from one
row to other. Every column is treated separately.
But still, each individual column may contain
multiple other columns like traditional databases.
Basically, columns are mode of storage in this
type.
2. Column Store Database
 2. Column Store Database
• Advantages:
• Data is readily available
• Queries like SUM, AVERAGE, COUNT can be
easily performed on columns.
• Examples:
• HBase
• Bigtable by Google
• Cassandra
 3. Document Database
• The document database fetches and
accumulates data in form of key-value pairs
but here, the values are called as Documents.
Document can be stated as a complex data
structure. Document here can be a form of
text, arrays, strings, JSON, XML or any such
format. The use of nested documents is also
very common. It is very effective as most of
the data created is usually in form of JSONs
and is unstructured.
3. Document Database
3. Document Database
 3. Document Database
• Advantages:
• This type of format is very useful and apt for
semi-structured data.
• Storage retrieval and managing of documents is easy.
• Limitations:
• Handling multiple documents is challenging
• Aggregation operations may not work accurately.
• Examples:
• MongoDB
• CouchDB
 4. Graph Databases
• Clearly, this architecture pattern deals with the
storage and management of data in graphs. Graphs
are basically structures that depict connections
between two or more objects in some data. The
objects or entities are called as nodes and are joined
together by relationships called Edges. Each edge has
a unique identifier. Each node serves as a point of
contact for the graph. This pattern is very commonly
used in social networks where there are a large
number of entities and each entity has one or many
characteristics which are connected by edges. The
relational database pattern has tables that are loosely
connected, whereas graphs are often very strong and
rigid in nature.
4. Graph Databases
 4. Graph Databases
• Advantages:
• Fastest traversal because of connections.
• Spatial data can be easily handled.
• Limitations:
Wrong connections may lead to infinite loops.

Examples:
• Neo4J
• FlockDB( Used by Twitter)
 Applications and use cases of
NoSQL databases
1. NoSQL for big data
• NoSQL databases excel in big data applications, offering
scalability and performance. These systems are equipped
for handling enormous data volumes with a high velocity
that traditional databases struggle to manage. They
efficiently support unstructured data processing, which is
crucial in big data analytics to derive meaningful insights
from an otherwise overwhelming influx of information.
• Another advantage is their ability to distribute workloads
across multiple nodes, ensuring effective data management
and processing. This horizontal scaling capability makes
them an ideal choice for data-intensive enterprises, where
demand for storage and processing grows exponentially.
 2. NoSQL for IoT
• In IoT, NoSQL databases manage vast heterogenous data
generated by myriad devices in real-time. Devices
continuously produce data streams that require real-time
processing, and NoSQL’s ability to rapidly ingest and analyze
this data is invaluable. Additionally, the flexible schema of
NoSQL databases accommodates varying data formats from
diverse IoT devices, offering adaptability as device types
evolve.
• Performance is also a key consideration, as IoT applications
often have stringent low-latency requirements. NoSQL’s
design promotes efficiency by minimizing latency, making
them suitable for use in monitoring systems, predictive
maintenance solutions, and real-time analytics.
 3. NoSQL for eCommerce
• eCommerce platforms benefit from NoSQL databases due
to their scalability and flexibility in managing diverse
product catalogs and customer interactions. They are adept
at handling the variable and rapidly changing data
structures common in eCommerce, allowing retailers to
manage vast product details and personalized user data
with ease.
• Additionally, their rapid read and write capabilities enhance
the user’s shopping experience by ensuring that browsing,
searching, and transaction processes are swift and
responsive. The ability to support high volumes of
simultaneous user interactions and data requests makes
NoSQL databases a go-to solution for modern ecommerce
applications.
4. NoSQL for content management
• Content management systems benefit greatly from
NoSQL databases’ flexibility and schema-free design,
which facilitate dynamic and polymorphic content
structures without rigid database redesign. This
adaptability is well-suited for media-rich content, such
as videos and images, and allows for swift inclusion of
new data types and media.
• Moreover, NoSQL databases can scale as content
repositories grow, a requisite for organizations dealing
with expansive digital assets. Their ability to efficiently
store and retrieve unstructured data supports diverse
use cases from personal blogs to enterprise-level
content hubs.
 5. NoSQL for time series data
• Time series data involves collecting, storing, and analyzing
timestamped data points. NoSQL databases are effective in
handling such tasks because of their flexibility and efficiency
in processing sequential data streams. They can store vast
quantities of time-stamped data cost-effectively, making
them suitable for financial market analysis, system
monitoring, or tracking IoT sensor data.
• Their capabilities are enhanced by horizontal scaling, which
aids in managing data influx from numerous sources
simultaneously. This ability to handle real-time data
ingestion and complex queries efficiently supports
applications requiring immediate processing and analysis.
 6. NoSQL for mobile applications
• Mobile applications leverage NoSQL databases for
their ability to scale and handle dynamic data models.
The mobile environment demands responsiveness and
offline capabilities, which NoSQL can provide through
localized data stores that sync with backend systems.
The flexible schemas enable application updates
without restructuring entire data models.
• NoSQL databases also improve performance with
rapid data retrieval and storage operations, which are
crucial for providing seamless user experiences. These
attributes make them especially advantageous in
mobile scenarios, where data consistency and
low-latency operations are paramount.
 7. NoSQL for retail
• Retail applications using NoSQL databases benefit
from their ability to manage large, complex datasets
involving customer transactions, inventory, and
personalized recommendations. Their scalability
allows handling high-throughput environments with
spikes in activity, typical during sales events or new
product launches.
• Additionally, the adaptable data model supports
dynamic inventory management and personalized
marketing, essential for modern retail strategies that
focus on customer experience and operational
efficiency. This capability ensures retailers can rapidly
adjust to market trends and customer preferences.
 8. NoSQL for social media
• Major social media platforms rely on NoSQL databases
for real-time data processing, accommodating vast,
complex interactions and connections. These
databases provide the necessary performance for
quick data fetching and updating, crucial for delivering
seamless user experiences and fast-paced interactions.
• Their support for graph data models helps manage
extensive, interconnected user and content
relationships, essential for delivering features like
friend suggestions or content recommendations.
NoSQL’s ability to adjust to ever-growing and
diversifying datasets empowers social media platforms
to innovate continually.
 9. NoSQL for cybersecurity
• In cybersecurity, NoSQL databases support the dynamic and
rapid data processing required to analyze threat
intelligence. These databases can ingest, process, and store
varied data formats, from logs and alerts to user behaviors,
essential for threat detection and response strategies.
• Their scalability allows managing large sets of security data
effectively, which is vital in modern network environments
characterized by high-volume, frequent data transactions.
NoSQL databases enable organizations to adapt quickly to
evolving threat landscapes, providing real-time security
insights without compromising on data storage or
processing efficiency.
 10. NoSQL for edge computing
• NoSQL databases are well-suited for edge computing
environments, where data processing occurs closer to
the source—such as sensors, devices, or local
servers—rather than centralized data centers. This
proximity reduces latency and enhances performance,
crucial for real-time analytics and decision-making at
the edge.
• NoSQL’s flexible schema and lightweight architecture
enable it to operate efficiently on constrained devices,
supporting diverse and unpredictable data types
generated in edge scenarios. This adaptability makes
NoSQL ideal for use cases like autonomous vehicles,
industrial automation, and smart cities, where rapid
data ingestion and localized processing are essential.