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.
15 cards · basic cards · AI-written, checked twice. Edit anything.
- What is NoSQL?
- A category of databases that store data in non-relational formats for flexibility and scale
- What is a document database?
- A NoSQL database storing data as flexible, JSON-like documents
- What is a key-value store?
- A NoSQL database storing data as simple key-value pairs for fast lookups
- What is a column-family database?
- A NoSQL database storing data in columns grouped into families, optimized for large-scale reads
- What is a graph database?
- A NoSQL database storing data as nodes and edges, optimized for relationship-heavy queries
- What is schema flexibility, an advantage of many NoSQL databases?
- The ability to store records without a rigid, predefined structure
- What is horizontal scaling?
- Adding more machines to distribute a database's load, common in NoSQL systems
- What is vertical scaling?
- Increasing the resources (CPU, memory) of a single machine to handle more load
- What is a distributed database?
- A database whose data is stored across multiple physical locations or machines
- What is data replication?
- Copying data across multiple nodes to improve availability and fault tolerance
- What is data sharding?
- Splitting a database's data across multiple machines based on a partitioning key
- What is the CAP theorem?
- A principle stating a distributed system can only guarantee two of Consistency, Availability, and Partition tolerance
- What is eventual consistency?
- A model where distributed data becomes consistent over time rather than immediately
- When might a NoSQL database be preferred over a relational one?
- When data is unstructured, rapidly changing, or requires massive horizontal scale
- When might a relational database be preferred over NoSQL?
- When strong consistency, complex queries, and transactional integrity are required
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