Non-relational

Describing a database model that doesn't adhere to the principles of the relational database model. This means the data isn't structured in tables with predefined relationships between them using foreign keys. Instead, data might be stored in various formats such as key-value pairs, documents, graphs, or wide-column stores, offering flexibility in handling diverse data types and complex data structures. non-relational databases prioritize scalability, flexibility, and agility, often used when dealing with unstructured or semi-structured data and high volumes.

Non-relational meaning with examples

• The company chose a non-relational database to handle the vast amounts of social media data, enabling quicker processing and adaptation to ever-changing data formats. Its flexibility was key as the data structure wasn't pre-determined. This agility helped them quickly gather insights.
• Due to its flexible document structure, the startup selected a non-relational database for its content management system. It allowed them to easily incorporate various media types and dynamic content updates without schema restrictions, allowing them to grow freely.
• The application developers implemented a non-relational database to store the user's session data. This choice facilitated rapid data retrieval and horizontal scaling, which made the app faster and reduced overhead when handling peak user times.
• When designing the recommendation engine, the developers used a non-relational graph database to represent the relationships between users and products. The graph structure was well-suited for complex data exploration and relationship traversal, delivering personalized insights.
• For the IoT project, the engineering team utilized a non-relational database to manage the time-series data from various sensors. Its efficient data ingestion and storage capabilities were critical in managing high volumes of incoming data with low latency and data loss.