NoSQL Databases

In the previous lesson, we discussed SQL databases that can be used to develop an efficient database-backed web application. Now, we will look into the NoSQL options that exist and discuss how NoSQL database management systems compare to SQL database management systems.

MongoDB #

MongoDB, which is perhaps the most popular NoSQL DBMS, is an open-source non-relational database management system that has come to be known as the leading option when it comes to developing modern web applications. The reason for this is that MongoDB uses a document-based storage system that stores key-value pairs and allows for highly efficient lookups, making data retrieval much faster and easier than any typical SQL DBMS. To add to this, the document model ensures that data can be mapped directly to objects within the application code, and is, therefore, makes data handling significantly easy by eliminating the need for adding code to process queried data. In addition to this, MongoDB stores data in a highly flexible manner, thus allowing for fields to vary from document to document and the structure of data to be open to change over time. Data can also be indexed and queried according to specific user requirements and then updated in real-time. This makes MongoDB an exceptionally powerful system for data analysis, and that shows in its popularity. However, the most important aspect of quality that MongoDB covers is reliability; MongoDB is a distributed database at its core which means that it is available, scalable, and easily distributable across locations, thus making it well equipped for modern applications that require quick access to data at all times.

MongoDB commands are fairly simple and easy to learn. Given below is an example that creates a new database called newDB: