From the course: NoSQL Essential Training

Why the hype over NoSQL? - NoSQL Tutorial

From the course: NoSQL Essential Training

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Why the hype over NoSQL?

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- [Narrator] What is NoSQL? Well, let's get one thing out of the way quickly. It stands for Not Only SQL. Not literally no never, ever SQL, NoSQL's a way to store data that compliments aspects of speed, flexibility, and scalability needed in many modern web applications. So as a new kid in the data world, a lot of people have become really excited about NoSQL and you might've heard amazing claims and wondered what this superhero database is all about. I mean, I've even heard folks say that it will replace SQL, or that it will make relational databases obsolete. What's the truth? Well like anything else in life, NoSQL has its pros and cons and can live side-by-side with relational. Overall, NoSQL does a phenomenal job at flexibility, scalability, and speed. And for most developers, it's really easy to work with. You'll often hear about it being associated with agile development or big data, and it certainly suits agile development. And although NoSQL is not synonymous with big data, it is often used with it. So is NoSQL all that? Is it everything we've ever hoped for? Well, let's take a look at the big kid on campus, relational databases, to get perspective here. Relational databases are strong in integrity and consistency. They're structured and organized, but they're not necessarily fast and nimble. So they're great for certain jobs, and they're not great for others. Think about it this way. Who do you want as a bookkeeper? The fast and nimble, or the steady and reliable? I'll take reliability when it comes to any sort of accounting, thank you. And relational databases are great for such things. Like making sure the online deposit you made makes it into your checking account. So will NoSQL replace SQL in relational databases? Why would we do that? They do different things and can be used for different purposes. And at times the two can even team up. NoSQL's strengths lend it to a variety of modern applications including things like big data analysis, social networking, website personalization, user profiles and more. It's super scalable. So it can operate as applications and websites grow to accommodate millions of users. And it's flexible nature allows programmers to use agile methodology easily without needing to go through the paces of specifically modeling relational databases.

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