Database Systems, unit: NoSQL and Distributed Databases. Core concepts, terminology, and worked-example cues a college student meets for this unit, building on prior units without repeating them. Front: a term, concept, or short problem cue. Back: the definition, explanation, or answer.
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- What is NoSQL?
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A category of databases that store data in non-relational formats for flexibility and scale- What is a document database?
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A NoSQL database storing data as flexible, JSON-like documents- What is a key-value store?
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A NoSQL database storing data as simple key-value pairs for fast lookups- What is a column-family database?
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A NoSQL database storing data in columns grouped into families, optimized for large-scale reads- What is a graph database?
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A NoSQL database storing data as nodes and edges, optimized for relationship-heavy queries- What is schema flexibility, an advantage of many NoSQL databases?
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The ability to store records without a rigid, predefined structure- What is horizontal scaling?
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Adding more machines to distribute a database's load, common in NoSQL systems- What is vertical scaling?
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Increasing the resources (CPU, memory) of a single machine to handle more load- What is a distributed database?
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A database whose data is stored across multiple physical locations or machines- What is data replication?
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Copying data across multiple nodes to improve availability and fault tolerance- What is data sharding?
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Splitting a database's data across multiple machines based on a partitioning key- What is the CAP theorem?
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A principle stating a distributed system can only guarantee two of Consistency, Availability, and Partition tolerance- What is eventual consistency?
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A model where distributed data becomes consistent over time rather than immediately- When might a NoSQL database be preferred over a relational one?
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When data is unstructured, rapidly changing, or requires massive horizontal scale- When might a relational database be preferred over NoSQL?
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When strong consistency, complex queries, and transactional integrity are required
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