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WHY CHANGE?
Going beyond relational only
Before we begin discussing purpose-built databases, let's examine the status
quo—using relational databases for just about every use case.
Relational databases were designed for tabular data with consistent structure
and fixed schema. They work for problems that are well defined at the onset.
Traditional applications like ERP, CRM, and e-commerce need relational
databases to log transactions and store structured data, typically in GBs
and occasionally TBs.
For decades, application design has been driven by relational database
requirements, limiting innovation. To compete in today's market, this paradigm
must reverse—with databases built to serve the needs of different kinds of
applications, not the other way around.
While relational databases are still essential—in fact, they are still growing—a
"relational only" approach no longer works in today's world.
With the rapid growth of data—not just in volume and velocity but also in
variety, complexity, and interconnectedness—the needs of databases have
changed. Many new applications that have social, mobile, IoT, and global access
requirements cannot function properly on a relational database alone.
These applications need databases that can store TBs to PBs of new types of
data, provide access to data with millisecond latency, process millions of requests
per second, and scale to support millions of users anywhere in the world.
To create applications that meet these demands, developers must choose
between a number of purpose-built database models. They must understand
which database type to use when selecting the right tool for the right job.
In the following pages, we will examine a variety of database types, exploring the
strengths, challenges, and primary use cases of each.
