Chapter 14
Choosing Among NoSQL Flavors
WHAT’S IN THIS CHAPTER?
- Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of NoSQL products
- Comparing and contrasting the available NoSQL products
- Evaluating NoSQL products based on performance benchmarks
Not all NoSQL databases are similar, nor are they made to solve the same problems, so comparing them to choose one from among them is probably a fruitless exercise. However, understanding which database is appropriate for a given situation and context is important. This chapter presents the facts and opinions to help you compare and contrast the available NoSQL choices. It uses feature, performance, and context-based criteria to classify the NoSQL databases and to weigh them against each other.
The evolution of NoSQL and databases beyond RDBMS can be compared to the rapid evolution of multiple programming languages in the past few years. Availability of multiple programming languages allows the use of the right language for the right task, often leading a single developer to have more than one language in his or her repertoire. A single developer working with multiple languages is often compared to a person speaking more than one natural language. The knowledge of multiple languages makes a person a polyglot. Being a polyglot enables an individual to communicate effectively in situations where the lack of knowledge of a language could have been an impediment. Similarly, adopting multiple programming languages is termed as polygot programming ...
