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Types of Databases

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Types of Databases

Uploaded by

Moffat Haroun
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© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Types of Databases

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Types of Databases

A database is considered a collection of information stored in a computer. They are used

for various functions including storing data to analyzing stock market. With databases, your

computer can store important information in an easily searchable and organized manner

(Sumathi & Esakkirajan, 2007). Today, databases have become an important part of our lives

because without them, most computer functions would not exist. Many businesses today have

gone digital and depends on storing large amounts of data on computers. As a result, it is

important to understand the different types of databases that exist and how they can be used by

businesses. There are various types of databases that are used in businesses today and each of

them are designed to manage or deal with different types of data and serve different purposes.

One of the types of databases is the relational database. This is the most widely used type

of database management system today. This type of database is founded on the relational data

model that organizes one or several relations or tables, each consisting of various attributes or

columns, or a set of rows or tuples. This makes it easy for one to see and understand how

different structures are related to one another (Harrington, 2016). Relational databases are widely

by businesses today to manage structured data including sales data, customer information, and

their financial transaction data. This database is used in the management of businesses of

different sizes and across various industries such as healthcare, retail, logistics, and finance. For

instance, a newly established bank cam use relational database to manage its account balances,

customer information, and transactional history (Sumathi & Esakkirajan, 2007). In most cases,

relational database are best suited for businesses that largely deal with structured data. As a

result, they require a strong reliability, consistency, and integrity around their data. With

relational database, the stored information is structured around other data. A perfect image of
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relational data is the link between an individual who is doing online shopping and the shopping

cart. This kind of database is normally preferred when one is more focused on the integrity of the

business data or when they are particularly focused on their scalability. One of the major benefits

of relational databases is that it offers an intuitive way of representing data and allows for easier

access to related data points (Sumathi & Esakkirajan, 2007). This explains why it is mostly used

by businesses that manage large volumes of structured data, that may range from tracking

inventory to processing of transactional data.

Another type of database is the NoSQL databases. This is a relatively new type of

database management system that do not depend on the relational data model. Rather, they adopt

a variety of data models including key-value, document-oriented, and graph-based models to

store and manage data (Meier et al., 2019). NoSQL database is designed to store and handle

large volumes of semi-structured or unstructured data such as machine logs, social media data,

and sensor data. NoSQL databases possesses a hierarchy that is closely similar to a file folder

system and only contains non-relational or unstructured data. The lack of structure enables the

database to process large data volumes at a fast speed, making it easier to expand in the futures.

In most cases, they are used by organizations that need real-time data processing, scalability, and

high availability (Meier et al., 2019). They are used by businesses such social media platforms,

e-commerce businesses, and online gaming companies. An e-commerce company, for instance,

can use the NoSQL database to store customer browsing history, inventory data, and product

recommendations. Generally, NoSQL databases are suited for organizations dealing with

unstructured data and require high availability, flexibility, and scalability. NoSQL databases are

used in almost every industry. They perform highly critical functions such as storage of financial

data and healthcare records (Meier et al., 2019). Generally, NoSQL databases offer various
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benefits such as horizontal scaling, flexible data models, fast queries and ease of use by

companies.

The type of databases a business decides to use often depends on the data management

needs and requirements. An organization that deals with structured data and requires strong

reliability and consistency would consider using a relational database. But, a business dealing

mostly with unstructured data and needs high availability and scalability would consider using a

NoSQL database. Essentially, the choice of a database a business goes with largely depends on

the specific needs and requirements of the business, and its budget as well as technical expertise.

However, if I was to start my own business, I would prefer using NoSQL database. First, it is

important to note that NoSQL databases are newer types of database management system which

was created in response to the limitations existing in the traditional relational database (Meier et

al., 2019). Compared to relational database, I would choose NoSQL database because it is more

scalable and provides superior performance. Additionally, I would benefit from the flexibility

and ease of use of their data models. This would help me speed up development in cloud

computing environment.
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References

Harrington, J. L. (2016). Relational database design and implementation. Morgan Kaufmann.

Meier, A., Kaufmann, M., Meier, A., & Kaufmann, M. (2019). Nosql databases. SQL & NoSQL

Databases: Models, Languages, Consistency Options and Architectures for Big Data

Management, 201-218.

Sumathi, S., & Esakkirajan, S. (2007). Fundamentals of relational database management

systems (Vol. 47). Springer.

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