Gone are the days of sifting through alphabetical folders in clunky filing cabinets in search of a lost document. Modern businesses process thousands of gigabytes of data every day, and doing so in a way that maximizes the value of the data requires computerized analysis with ultra-fast organizational systems.
To meet this demand, today’s automated database management systems use complex algorithms to accurately analyze and classify data from multiple sources. Some of the most common databases available today include IBM DB2, Oracle, and MySQL, but there are many, many more. In fact, with the plethora of data formats and coding languages available, some companies find it difficult to identify the most efficient one for them.
Read about the benefits that the best NewSQL databases provide to businesses in every industry today, and consider how mastering them can create your competitive advantage and help you solve your most complex business challenges.
What is a NewSQL database?
For many years, companies have been using relational databases (RDBs) in combination with Structured Query Language (SQL) to manage their data. This involves organizing datasets by tables, records, and columns and using SQL to manage how the data is processed.1
However, as data requirements exploded in the 21st century, the old RDB system became increasingly inefficient and a new system called NoSQL was introduced. While this system provides greater flexibility than its predecessors, it still struggles with scalability and performance when faced with today’s voluminous data sets. This has prompted the creation
of NewSQL.2
NewSQL databases aim to improve these flaws by reincorporating some relational database features and combining them with the benefits of NoSQL. By using the modern NoSQL data structure while maintaining the ACID (atomicity, consistency, isolation, and durability) guarantees of RDBs, NewSQL offers the best of both worlds.3
Some key features
of NewSQL databases
- Database replication Secondary indexes
- Sharding/partitioning
- Concurrency control
- Failure recovery
Advantages of NewSQL
- Maintains ACID guarantees
- Support for SQL analytics and extensions
- High availability
- Scale-out
Disadvantages
of NewSQL Not
- standardized Not
- so suitable for general use
- Lacks full SQL functionality4
The best
NewSQL databases
NewSQL is an exciting technology that is available in a growing number of formats. The best NewSQL databases available today are versatile and powerful tools that are carefully designed to meet your business needs.
1. VoltDB Founded in
2009, VoltDBhas recently become one of the major NewSQL players in the burgeoning in-memory database market. Supports multiple languages, including Python, Java, PHP and C++.5
With ACID guarantees, fragmentation and data replication, VoltDB is designed to work primarily with OLTP queries and is available as a commercial and open source program. It uses deterministic concurrency control and a global serial order controller for fragmented transactions spanning multiple partitions.6
2. ClustrixDB With automatic fault tolerance and a system designed to maintain multiple copies of data, ClustrixDB is a database that offers excellent peace of mind. Founded in 2006 and recently acquired by MariaDB, Clustrix supports MySQL and uses multiversion concurrency control (MVCC) with two-phase locking for inbound conflict resolution.
Clustrix offers several advantages over popular cloud-based database servers like AWS, specifically powerful failover and fault tolerance features, plus the ability to scale and perform beyond 1TB. The cluster-based cloud platform offers several additional benefits, including online schema changes, linear scalability, and online expansion.7
3. NuoDBFounded in Cambridge, Massachusetts, NuoDB has been widely adopted by leading FinTech companies. In November 2020, it was acquired by French 3D design firm Dassault Systèmes to provide scalable, multi-cloud distributed SQL database solutions.8 Dassault Systèmes®
® uses NuoDB to manage its global database of online 3D parts manufacturers and customers, connecting engineers with designers around the world.9
4. CockroachDB CockroachDB, designed and built by Cockroach Labs, is a highly versatile NewSQL database used by a wide range of well-known brands, including JPMorgan Chase, Cisco and Best Buy. Its ability to easily connect to cloud-based cluster tools like Kubernetes makes CockroachDB a powerful tool for organizational automation.
Developed by former Google employees, CoackroachDB takes inspiration from Spanner, using a similarly scaled-out open-source distributed SQL database built on a highly consistent transactional layer.10
5. VMware Tanzu GemFire Formerly known as Pivotal Gemfire XC, this NewSQL database was acquired by VMware and rebranded as VMware Tanzu GemFire in 2019. Gemfire is a clustered, geographically distributed, multi-tier cloud database that provides great flexibility, scalability, and performance. Gemfire’s horizontally scalable in-memory architecture is a key feature that separates it from other NewSQL databases by providing predictable low latency even at times of peak access.11
Gemfire XC highlights include:
- Elastic scaling dynamically rebalances partitions
- Instant event reactions from real-time
- notifications Resilient ‘shared-nothing’ architecture ensures high availability
- Frictionless multi-language support for .NET and Node.js12
Become a NewSQL database expert at William & Mary
Data analytics is a critical tool for organizations around the world, and the demand for a business analytics skill set will continue to explode in the coming years. The ability to process data quickly and accurately can make the difference between a company’s success and failure, which is why database management is crucial.
If you’re ready to excel in this area, consider earning the Online Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA) from William and Mary, a renowned “Public Ivy” institution. Learn more about the practical final course that culminates the online MSBA and consider how the skills you’ll show upon completion can transform your career.
