Non-relational databases don’t use the tabular schema of rows and columns found in most traditional database systems. Instead, they use a storage model that is optimized for the specific requirements of the type of data being stored. The term NoSQL refers to data stores that do not use SQL for queries. Instead, the data stores use other programming languages and constructs to query the data.

NoSQL databases are a good choice for

-       Handling large, unrelated, indeterminate, or rapidly changing data.

-       Schema-agnostic data or schema dictated by the app.

-       Apps where performance and availability are more important than strong consistency.

-       Always-on apps that serve users around the world.

The four most common types of NoSQL databases are:

• Key-value stores pair keys and values using a hash table. Key-value types are best when a key is known and the associated value for the key is unknown.
• Document databases extend the concept of the key-value database by organizing entire documents into groups called collections. 
• Columnar, wide-column, or column-family databases efficiently store data and query across rows of sparse data and are advantageous when querying across specific columns in the database.
• Graph databases use a model based on nodes and edges to represent interconnected data—such as relationships between people in a social network—and offer simplified storage and navigation through complex relationships.

Using data models based on NoSQL are a great fit for companies that want to build mobile, web, Internet of Things (IoT), and gaming apps that require flexible, scalable, high-performance, and highly functional databases to provide great user experiences—whether it’s gaming, e-commerce, big data analytics, or real-time web apps and beyond.

Azure Cosmos DB is the most robust NoSQL service that Azure offers, it is a fully managed NoSQL database for modern app development. Azure Cosmos DB takes database administration hands-off with automatic management, updates, and patching as a fully managed service. It also handles capacity management with cost-effective serverless and automatic scaling options that respond to application needs to match capacity with demand.

Azure Managed Instance for Apache Cassandra provides the flexibility, scalability, and compatibility an organization needs to run business-critical workloads at scale. It’s easy to manage changing demands with multiple compute, storage, and data replication options.

Azure Cache for Redis is a fully managed, in-memory cache that accelerates the application data layer to enable high-performance, scalable architectures. As traffic and demands on an app increase, performance can be scaled simply and cost effectively. Azure Cache for Redis provides an in-memory data store based on the Redis software. Redis improves the performance and scalability of applications that heavily use backend data stores.

Among others Noventiq achieved Microsoft Gold Data Platform and Cloud Platform competencies demonstrating our technical capabilities, while our “Linux and Open Source Database Migration to Microsoft Azure” Advanced Specialization validates Noventiq’s technical capabilities to deliver specialized services in a Database migration and modernization. Reach out to our experts to discuss your database migration goals and strategy!