NoSQL Distilled: A Brief Guide to the Emerging World of Polyglot Persistence

Chapter 4. Distribution Models

The primary driver of interest in NoSQL has been its ability to run databases on a large cluster. As data volumes increase, it becomes more difficult and expensive to scale up—buy a bigger server to run the database on. A more appealing option is to scale out—run the database on a cluster of servers. Aggregate orientation fits well with scaling out because the aggregate is a natural unit to use for distribution.

Depending on your distribution model, you can get a data store that will give you the ability to handle larger quantities of data, the ability to process a greater read or write traffic, or more availability in the face of network slowdowns or breakages. These are often important benefits, but they come ...