INFO 2004 Chap.12 Cloud Databases and Big Data
Cloud Databases and Big Data
A database is persistent organised data, while a database management system is the software layer used to define, access and manage it. The course then distinguishes five database categories: relational, columnar, key-value, document and graph. SQL and NoSQL are compared as different data-model and access choices rather than as a simple old-versus-new contest.
Big data adds the challenge of working with data whose scale, speed or variety makes existing approaches difficult. The architecture choice between a data warehouse and a data lake depends on the purpose and preparation of the data, not on a slogan. AWS database services, RDS and DynamoDB are named in the delivered topic, but capacity modes, partition mechanics, instance classes and failover timing are not grounded here.
The RDS lab page also calls its laboratory “summative assessment task 1.3,” a label that conflicts with the captured five-item gradebook; the guide reports that conflict and does not remap the lab to Assignment 1.2.
What this chapter covers
- 01
Purpose of a database and the DBMS layer
- 02
Relational and columnar models
- 03
Key-value and document models
- 04
Graph databases
- 05
SQL compared with NoSQL
- 06
Big-data challenges
- 07
Data warehouses, data lakes and named AWS services
Choose a database model from the dominant relationship
- 1Structured orders with stable related entities point toward a relational model.
- 1Product descriptions whose fields vary point toward a document model.
- 1Direct lookup by identifier points toward a key-value model.
- 1Questions dominated by paths and connections between accounts point toward a graph model.
Key terms
- Database
- An organised persistent collection of data used to support access and management.
- DBMS
- The software layer that defines, accesses and manages a database.
- Relational database
- A model organising data in related tabular structures and commonly queried with SQL.
- Columnar database
- A category organised to work with data by columns rather than a conventional row-first view.
- Key-value database
- A model retrieving values through associated keys.
- Document database
- A model storing records as documents whose fields may vary.
- Graph database
- A model centred on nodes, relationships and connection-oriented questions.
- Data warehouse
- A prepared analytical repository oriented toward structured reporting use.
- Data lake
- A repository holding broader data for later processing and analysis.
Cloud Databases and Big Data FAQ
What is the difference between a database and a DBMS?
The database is the stored data; the DBMS is the software layer used to access and manage it.
Which five database categories are taught?
Relational, columnar, key-value, document and graph.
Is NoSQL always better for big data?
No. Model choice depends on data shape, relationships and queries.
Is Cloud Academy Laboratory 5 Assignment 1.2?
The captured page instead labels it summative task 1.3, while the gradebook has no 1.3 item. This conflict must be confirmed on Canvas.
Which AWS database names are grounded?
RDS and DynamoDB are named in the delivered seminar, without the usual detailed service specifications.
Assessment move
For every database category, keep one canonical question: stable relationships, column-oriented analysis, direct key lookup, variable document shape or connection traversal. Then add the warehouse-versus-lake purpose decision. Maintain the RDS lab numbering conflict in your Canvas checklist and never infer that a practical is identical to a graded task unless the current brief says so.
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