Database

A database is a system for storing and organizing data that can be easily accessed, updated, and managed. It is commonly used to store large amounts of data and can be used for a wide range of purposes, such as storing customer and product information for an e-commerce website, tracking financial transactions for a bank, recording patient records for a healthcare organization, or managing inventory and orders for a manufacturer, for example. There are several types of databases, including relational databases, which use a tabular structure, and NoSQL databases, which store data in various formats such as documents, key-value pairs, or graph structures. Databases can be accessed and managed through specialized software tools such as database management systems and the Structured Query Language (SQL), a programming language used to manage and manipulate data stored in relational databases. It is a standard language for interacting with relational databases and is widely used in a variety of industries and applications.

Types of Databases

There are several types of databases that are commonly used in cloud computing environments depending on multiple factors, like needs and use cases. A non-exhaustive list is the following:

  • Relational databases. These are traditional databases that store data in a tabular format, with rows representing individual records and columns representing the attributes of those records. Examples include MySQL, Oracle, and Microsoft SQL Server.
  • NoSQL databases. These databases are designed to handle large amounts of data either structured, semi-structured, or unstructured. They do not use the tabular format of relational databases and can store data in a variety of formats such as key-value pairs, documents, or graph structures. Examples include MongoDB, Cassandra, and Amazon DynamoDB.
  • In-memory databases. These databases store data in memory rather than on disk, which allows them to provide extremely fast access to data. They are often used for real-time analytics or other applications that require low latency. Examples include Redis and Memcached.
  • Graph databases. These databases are designed to store and manage data that is structured in the form of a graph, with nodes representing entities and edges representing relationships between those entities. They are often used for applications such as recommendation engines and social networks. Examples include Neo4j and Amazon Neptune.
  • Time-series databases. These databases are designed specifically for storing and querying time-series data, which is data that is collected and recorded over time. They are often used for applications such as monitoring and analytics. Examples include InfluxDB, Prometheus, and TimescaleDB.
  • Key-value stores. These databases are designed to store and retrieve data using a simple key-value pair and are often used for applications such as caching and storing simple data structures. Examples include Redis and Amazon DynamoDB.
  • Search engines. These databases are optimized for fast search and retrieval of data and are often used for applications such as e-commerce websites and online search engines. Examples include Elasticsearch and Apache Solr.
  • Streaming databases. These databases are designed to handle high-velocity streams of data and are often used for applications such as real-time analytics and event processing. Examples include Apache Kafka and Amazon Kinesis.
Types of Databases. Source: Xenonstack blog, different types of databases

Deploying your Database in the Cloud

Cloud-based databases are databases that are hosted and managed by a cloud provider, rather than being installed and managed locally on on-premises hardware. Several types of cloud-based databases are available:

  • Fully managed: fully managed by a cloud provider, which means that the provider takes care of all aspects of the database, including setup, configuration, security, monitoring, and maintenance.
  • Database as a service (DBaaS): offered as a service, which means that the user pays a subscription fee to access and use the database. The provider takes care of all aspects of the database, including setup, configuration, security, monitoring, and maintenance.
  • Virtual machine-based: deployed on a virtual machine in the cloud. The user is responsible for setting up and configuring the database and may also be responsible for tasks such as security, monitoring, and maintenance.
  • Container-based: deployed in a container in the cloud. Like the VM-based, the user is responsible for setting up and configuring the database, as well as tasks such as security, monitoring, and maintenance.
  • Hybrid: combine elements of different database types, such as relational, NoSQL, and in-memory technologies, in order to provide a flexible and scalable solution for storing and managing data.
  • Serverless: fully managed by a cloud provider and designed to automatically scale up or down based on demand. They do not require the user to provision or manage any infrastructure and are often billed based on usage.
  • Distributed: designed to scale horizontally across multiple servers and used for applications that require high availability and horizontal scalability.
  • NewSQL databases: designed to provide the scalability and performance of NoSQL databases, while still maintaining the ACID (atomicity, consistency, isolation, durability) properties of traditional relational databases.
  • Multimodel: support multiple data models, such as document, graph, and key-value, within a single database system. They are often used for applications that require a flexible and versatile solution for storing and managing data.

Benefits of using Cloud-based Databases

Some common benefits of using cloud-based databases include:

  • Scalability. Cloud-based databases can easily scale up or down to meet changing demand, without the need to purchase and install additional hardware.
  • Elasticity. Cloud-based databases can automatically adjust their capacity to match the workload, which can help to reduce costs.
  • High-availability. Cloud-based databases typically offer high-availability options, such as automated failover and backup, to ensure that the database is always available.
  • Easy maintenance. Cloud-based databases are typically managed by the cloud provider, which means that the user does not have to worry about tasks such as software updates, backups, and monitoring.
  • Reduced upfront costs. Cloud-based databases do not require the user to purchase and maintain expensive hardware, which can reduce upfront costs and help to lower the total cost of ownership.
  • Flexibility. Cloud-based databases offer a variety of deployment options, including fully managed, database as a service (DBaaS), and virtual machine or container-based deployments, which allow users to choose the option that best fits their needs.
  • Integration with other cloud services. Cloud-based databases can be easily integrated with other cloud-based services, such as analytics and machine learning, which can help users to extract more value from their data.

Challenges of using Cloud-based Databases

There are also some potential downsides to using cloud-based databases, including:

  • Dependence on internet connectivity. Cloud-based databases require an internet connection to access and manage data, which can be a problem in areas with unreliable or limited internet connectivity.
  • Security concerns. Some users may be concerned about the security of their data when it is stored in the cloud. While cloud providers typically have robust security measures in place, there is always a risk of data breaches or unauthorized access.
  • Limited control. Because cloud-based databases are managed by the cloud provider, users have less control over certain aspects of the database, such as configuration and maintenance.
  • Vendor lock-in. Users of cloud-based databases may be more reliant on the cloud provider and may face challenges if they want to switch to a different provider.
  • Cost. While cloud-based databases can be cost-effective in many cases, the cost of using a cloud-based database can vary depending on the specific needs of the user and the pricing model of the provider. In some cases, the cost of using a cloud-based database may be higher than the cost of running an on-premises database.

OpenCloudification for Databases

OpenCloudification can provide guidance and best practices on adopting the best database solutions, depending on needs, use cases and technologies. A regularly updated list will illustrate some of the tools and components of interest addressed during the OpenCloudification activities. For more information on each technology, check the individual pages on the OpenCloudification website and the official documentation and website.

Cloud Native Computing Foundation technologies both commercial (licensed) and non-commercial (shareware):

Other Technologies:

  • Firemon