This document discusses SQL versus NoSQL databases. NoSQL databases are better suited for internet-scale applications with massive amounts of data and users due to their ability to provide high availability, high performance, and horizontal scalability. NoSQL databases sacrifice strict ACID properties for looser eventual consistency in order to better serve highly distributed systems. SQL remains preferable when strict ACID properties are required. The document provides examples of MongoDB and concludes that the right database choice depends on the specific needs and use case.

1. SQL vs. NoSQL
Data in the world of social media
Jon Limjap
Microsoft MVP for C#

2. Who am I?
• I’m Jon 
– Blog: http://dotnet.kapenilattex.com
– Twitter: @lattex
• Does anybody remember…
• I’m a developer, not a DBA
• I’ve worked on mainframe, desktop, web, and
mobile
• I’m a member of MSDEV.PH / PHISSUG /
DevCon

3. Why not SQL?

4. Why not SQL?
• Internet scale
• 100s of millions of concurrent users
• Massive data collections – Terabytes to
Petabytes of data
• 24/7 across the globe

5. Why not SQL?

6. NoSQL doesn’t mean no data :p
• It’s not Anti SQL or absolutely no SQL
• N(ot) O(nly) SQL
• Non-relational Databases

7. What is NoSQL good for?
• High Availability
• High Performance
• Horizontal Scalability

8. Types of NoSQL Data Stores
Document
Key-Value
Column Sets Oriented
Store
(JSON)
XML Graph BLOBs
Object Etc…

9. Some NoSQL Data Stores

10. j = { name : "mongo" }
k = { x : 3 }
db.things.insert( j )
db.things.insert( k )
db.things.find()
{ "_id" :
ObjectId("4c2209f9f3924d31102bd84a"), "name" :
"mongo" }
{ "_id" :
ObjectId("4c2209fef3924d31102bd84b"), "x" : 3 }

11. for (var i = 1; i <= 10; i++) db.things.insert( { x : 4 , j : i } )
db.things.find()
{ "_id" : ObjectId("4c2209f9f3924d31102bd84a"), "name" : "mongo" }
{ "_id" : ObjectId("4c2209fef3924d31102bd84b"), "x" : 3 }
{ "_id" : ObjectId("4c220a42f3924d31102bd856"), "x" : 4, "j" : 1 }
{ "_id" : ObjectId("4c220a42f3924d31102bd857"), "x" : 4, "j" : 2 }
{ "_id" : ObjectId("4c220a42f3924d31102bd858"), "x" : 4, "j" : 3 }
{ "_id" : ObjectId("4c220a42f3924d31102bd859"), "x" : 4, "j" : 4 }
{ "_id" : ObjectId("4c220a42f3924d31102bd85a"), "x" : 4, "j" : 5 }
{ "_id" : ObjectId("4c220a42f3924d31102bd85b"), "x" : 4, "j" : 6 }
{ "_id" : ObjectId("4c220a42f3924d31102bd85c"), "x" : 4, "j" : 7 }
{ "_id" : ObjectId("4c220a42f3924d31102bd85d"), "x" : 4, "j" : 8 }
{ "_id" : ObjectId("4c220a42f3924d31102bd85e"), "x" : 4, "j" : 9 }
{ "_id" : ObjectId("4c220a42f3924d31102bd85f"), "x" : 4, "j" : 10 }

12. db.things.find({name: "mongo"})
{ "_id" :
ObjectId("4c2209f9f3924d31102bd84a"), "nam
e" : "mongo" }

13. What’s the big deal?

14. ACID vs. BASE

15. ACID vs. BASE
• ACID:
– Atomic: Every transaction should succeed else
transaction is roled back
– Consistent: Every transaction leaves database in a
valid (consistent) state
– Isolation: Transactions don’t interfere with each
other
– Durable: Completed transactions persist, even
when servers restart

16. ACID vs. BASE
• BASE
– Basic Availability: The data store should be up all
of the time
– Soft state: The data store can be cached
somewhere else if the data store is not available
– Eventual consistency: The data store can have
conflicting transactions, but should eventually
reach a valid state

17. Where shouldn’t I use NoSQL?

18. Conclusion
• SQL is great when you need ACID
• NoSQL is great when you need BASE
• Choose the right tool for the right job

19. Thank You!
• Blog: http://dotnet.kapenilattex.com
• Twitter: @lattex

20. References
• John D. Cook – ACID versus BASE for database transactions
http://www.johndcook.com/blog/2009/07/06/brewer-cap-
theorem-base/
• Getting Started with MongoDB Development –
http://docs.mongodb.org/manual/tutorial/getting-started/
• Michael Rys – SQL and NoSQL Are Two Sides of the Same
Coin – http://www.slideshare.net/MichaelRys/sql-and-
nosql-are-two-sides-of-the-same-coin-strata-2012
• Vamshi Krishna Reddy Vangapally – No sql databases -
http://www.slideshare.net/vamshi4001/no-sql-databases
• Venu Anuganti – SQL, NoSQL, BigData in Data Architecture -
http://www.slideshare.net/vanuganti/sql-nosql-bigdata-in-
data-architecture