CST3624 Introduction to Non-Relational (NoSQL) Technologies

WEEKLY READINGS

Week Topics Reading/Instructional Videos Discussions

1 Introduction to
● Reading: ● Discussion 1: New York Times
NoSQL
o Mullins, Craig. “NoSQL (Not Only SQL o “How Facebook Tracks Your
Databases)” TechTarget. (this article Data” April 10, 2018. Length of
has a short video (2:34) as well). video: 3:30
o “Introduction to NoSQL”
Geeksforgeeks.
o Singh, Chaitanya. “Introduction to
NoSQL Databases.” BeginnerBook.
o Taylor, David. November 29, 2021.
“NoSQL Tutorial: What is, Types of
NoSQL Databases and Examples.”
o “NoSQL” w3resource.
o Rethana, Mark. September 25, 2018.
“Introduction to NoSQL Databases.”
Medium.
● YouTube:
o “Chapter 6.1: NoSQL Concepts” March
18, 2020. OrangeOutputs Length of
Video: 4:57
o “What is a NoSQL (Not Only SQL)
Databases” August 31, 2021.
TechTarget. Length of video: 2:34.
o “NoSQL Tutorial for Beginners.
Introduction to NoSQL Databases.
NoSQL Databases Tutorial.” August
23, 2017. AcadGild. Length of video:
12:17
o “How do NoSQL databases work?”
December 8, 2020. Simply Explained.
Length of video: 7:37.
o “SQL vs NoSQL.” April 9, 2019.
Edureka. Length of video: 38:58.
o “The battle of relational and non-
relational databases. SQL vs NoSQL
Explained” Jun 21, 2021. The Cloud
Girl. Length of video: 10:40.
o “What is NoSQL Databases” June 23,
2018. Length of video: 11:57.

Lab 1: Part1 Based on the material above, write a 2 summary for the
Reading/Instructional videos part. 1 page discussion for the topic in the Discussions part.
Include your personal opinion on the matter. Total 3 pages, using your own words.

CST3624 - Introduction to Non-Relational (NoSQL) Technologies

CST3624 Introduction to Non-Relational (NoSQL) Technologies

Unlike traditional relational database that use tables in columns and row to store data. NoSQL
uses unstructured data to scale larger data sets. NoSQL databases are generally classified into
four main categories: Document databases: Some of these databases store data such as JSON or
XML and can be queried using document-oriented query languages. These kinds of databases
include the popular MongoDB and Cassandra. NoSQL is faster as a result of unstructured data.

NoSQL is highly scalability and availability.

High Scalability

 NoSQL can handle huge amounts of data based on said database but most databases use
horizonal scaling than vertical scaling

High Availability

 NoSQL like MongoDB makes it highly available because in case of any failure data
replicates itself to the consistent state.

Types of NoSQL

Key Value
Data is stored in key pairs. This design handles a large data load. In some way it’s similar to
document databases with value JSON, BLOB, BLOB, and strings. Examples include Redis, Dynamo,
Riak, Couchbase and Aerospike.

Column Bases
Column Base databases are the type of databases that store data in columns instead of rows.
Examples include Bigtable, Cassandra, HBase, and Hypertable.

Document-Oriented
Document-Oriented databases and retrieve data as key value pair but the value part is stored as
a document instead. Examples include MongoDB-the most popular, CouchDB, Amazon SimpleDB,
and Lotus Notes.

Graph-Based database the entities are stored as nodes. The edges the relationship of nodes.
Examples includes GraphQL, Neo4J, and OrientDB

CST3624 - Introduction to Non-Relational (NoSQL) Technologies

CST3624 Introduction to Non-Relational (NoSQL) Technologies

Discussion Video

In the video, How Facebook Tracks your Data. Although short there laid complex data tracking of
a Facebook. Facebook reasons for tracking users’ data is what makes Facebook profit and the
reason the app/ website is free. They can track your location based on your consent, your
interest, job, political affiliation, and lifestyle. This data is then sold to advertisers and or third
parties.

Now there are many ways Facebook collects data.

CST3624 - Introduction to Non-Relational (NoSQL) Technologies

CST3624 Introduction to Non-Relational (NoSQL) Technologies
 Cookies- are small pieces of data that Facebook’s website used store temporary data on
your computer.

 Location Data – Self explanatory based on your permissions you location get racked and
stored in a database.

Based on your data profile that Facebooks stores on you. You will get personalized ads, that’s
how Facebook makes money. The advisers know from the ad services Facebook provides, how
many clicks and how long someone viewed the ad for.

I would like to end here; this video has left me contemplating this digital age of collecting data
and some privacy invasions. It’s good to analyze the pros and cons of how social media
companies conduct business. Personally, I feel indifferent to how Facebook tracks you. I’m not a
user of social media and when I do use it the ads don’t interest me, so I don’t click on them. But
this is what keeps social media free and makes profit for stockholders.

Part2: Answer the questions below:

1
What are the key challenges that traditional databases face in handling the increasing volume of
data in today's digital landscape, as discussed in the first chapter?
There are many issues with relational databases. Firstly:
 Unstructured data cannot be I relational databases.

CST3624 - Introduction to Non-Relational (NoSQL) Technologies

CST3624 Introduction to Non-Relational (NoSQL) Technologies
 No SQL databases are much faster than SQL databases.

2
According to this field, what are some of the factors that have driven the evolution of databases
from traditional relational models to newer approaches? How are these factors reshaping the way
organizations manage and process data?

 With the huge rise of the IoT, wireless revolution (smart phones, PDA’s)
 High cost of maintain programs- software or websites that had huge traffic – Facebook and
Google

3
In the first chapter of our textbook (also the slides), the author introduces the concept of "Big Data"
and its impact on database management. Can you explain the main characteristics of Big Data
and how they challenge traditional database systems?

 The 4 V’s were mentioned Volume, Variety, Velocity, Veracity

 The main issues with be data in traditional databases they struggle to handle large
amounts of data, real-time data and different data types.

4
As outlined in the book's first chapter, what are the distinguishing features of NoSQL databases?
How do they differ from traditional relational databases, and what types of use cases are better
suited for each type?

 NoSQL databases are designed to handle large volumes or data and types. They are
designed to be scalable and more reliable compared to SQL databases, though they don’t
provide ACID guarantees. They provide BASE most of the time.

5
In the context of database evolution, what role do distributed systems play? How does
the first chapter of the book discuss the shift from centralized to distributed
architectures?

 Distributed
 Set if databases stored on multiple computers.
 It often times replicates data across multiple nodes to ensure data availability and reduce
risk of data loss

Centralized
 Stored and managed at a single location.
 Boost efficiency and productivity
 Much cheaper than distributed databases.
 If there is system failure, then users won’t have access to the database.

CST3624 - Introduction to Non-Relational (NoSQL) Technologies

CST3624 Introduction to Non-Relational (NoSQL) Technologies
The first chapter talks about the CAP theorem and its implications for database design. Can you
explain what the CAP theorem is, and how it impacts the design decisions when choosing a
database system?

C - Consistency
A - Availability
P – Partition Tolerance

 When it comes to consistency or availability programmers must choose what’s important. This
will have an impact on UX.
 Programmers need to carefully consider the application's requirements and user expectations to
decide which trade-offs are acceptable.
 The choice of what database system to use is also included in the CAP theorem.

Examples of Consistent database

 Mongo DB
 Redis,
 HBase

Examples of Available database

 Cassandra
 DynamoDB
 Couchbase

7
What distinguishes NewSQL databases from traditional relational databases and NoSQL
databases, and what are some examples of NewSQL technologies?

NewSQL databases from traditional relational databases

 Scalability.

 Performance.
 Modern Architecture.

 ACID Compliance.

Traditional relational databases from NoSQL.

 Structured Data Model.

 Query Language.
 Strong Consistency.
 Maturity and Ecosystem.

Examples of NewSQL

 VoltDB

CST3624 - Introduction to Non-Relational (NoSQL) Technologies

CST3624 Introduction to Non-Relational (NoSQL) Technologies
 Clustrix
 MemSQL
 NuoDB
 CockroachDB
 Google Spanner

8
The lecture slides discuss the challenges of maintaining data consistency in distributed databases.
In the context of distributed systems, what are the trade-offs between strong consistency and high
availability, and how do different database technologies approach this trade-off?

 Strong consistency means that all nodes in a system always have the same data. In a strongly
consistent system, all nodes agree on the order in which operations occurred. Reads always
return the most recent version of the data, and writes are visible to all nodes immediately after
they occur.

 Weak consistency means that there is no guarantee that all nodes will have the same data at
any time. There are many different implementations of weak consistency.

9
What do you expect to learn in this class, and how do you plan to use the knowledge in your
career in the future?
 I expect to learn what’s the right type of database to use for specific cases.
 Exposure to large data sets and security of NoSQL databases
 This will be useful to my career as I plan to become a data engineer.

CST3624 - Introduction to Non-Relational (NoSQL) Technologies