NoSQL or ‘no relational database’ redefines database storage with unbelievable speed and scalability. It got popularity in the 21st century with the advent of web 2.0. All big data-driven companies as well as real-time applications, are using NoSQL nowadays. Also popular as ‘Not only SQL’, NoSQL has the ability to support SQL (Structured Query Language) for generic queries. It also fits with the SQL database in a polyglot persistence architecture which reinforces the concept of managing different data storage technologies.
SQL Vs. NoSQL
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Why NoSQL?
NoSQL is a low-cost database option with enhanced speed and along with PHP it provides the scalability necessary for your modern web application. The combination of the two helps in cutting the licensing cost which is indirectly involved with application development.
The NoSQL database is used by many big enterprise companies such as Facebook, Twitter, etc. because of its unique feature which helps in storing huge volume of data that can be retrieved within a fraction of a second.
Robustness, Scalability, and Performance are the three main benefits of NoSQL database.
Technical Benefits of NoSQL
The NoSQL database uses an efficient architecture instead of an expensive monolithic architecture. A cluster of servers can be used to hold a single large database in NoSQL.
Change Management is handled effectively by the NoSQL database with fewer restrictions. The DDL of NoSQL allows hassle free manipulation of the database structure.
NoSQL is a suitable database for storing session information, user-generated logical data sets such as (LIKES/DISLIKES, Comments), audio and video data, sensor and telemetric data.
Keeping in mind the goal of providing higher performance, NoSQL is often highly optimized for simple retrieval and appending operations. It is useful for web applications having a large volume of read-only requests. The data can be distributed and load balanced easily compared to other databases.
The primary reason for NoSQL’s seamless compatibility with PHP is that it does not require a predefined schema which demands one way to manage data in column and rows.
Some of the NoSQL databases that we use with the PHP are as follows:
REDIS
It is a simple Command line interface and incredibly fast. It is used for rapidly changing data, real-time applications, collection, and communication.
MONGO DB
It is a document database which provides high performance, wide availability, and scalability. Being a familiar query language, it has lots of libraries like Doctrine, Cake PHP, CodeIgniter, Symphony, Zend, etc.
COUCH DB
It is a bi-lateral replication (master-master) and Slick Restful JSON API which is easy to use. Also used for Mobile, CRM, CMS Systems, and multi-site deployments.
NEO4J
It is fully transactional and flexible API. NEO4J is used for social relations, road maps, and network topologies.
CASSANDRA
It is decentralized, scalable, fault tolerant, tunable consistent, and map reduce support.
Graph Databases
Some of the applications where graph databases have been implemented are:
- Polymap
- Neoclipse
- Neosocial which connects Facebook
The Last Word
Organizations having a huge amount of unstructured data and they need to look at NoSQL seriously. NoSQL is specifically useful for storing unstructured data, which is growing at a rapidly rate.
In fact, there are many use cases where NoSQL database outperforms than SQL database. Right from profile management, real-time big data management, and content management till fraud detection, Internet of Things, and digital communication. NoSQL database is the smarter choice to have a better data experience. Most importantly, the NoSQL database supports to add a high level of personalization to the services or products which itself is a big game-changer.
