Forms of Database Organization - SS3 ICT Lesson Note
Forms of Database Organization:
- Hierarchical Database: Organizes data in a tree-like structure, with parent-child relationships. Each child can have only one parent. Commonly used in older systems.
- Network Database: Similar to hierarchical databases but allows each child to have multiple parents, creating a more complex network of relationships.
- Relational Database: Organizes data into tables with rows and columns. It uses keys, such as primary and foreign keys, to establish relationships between tables.
- Object-Oriented Database: Stores data in the form of objects, similar to object-oriented programming. Ideal for representing complex real-world entities.
- NoSQL Database: Encompasses various forms like document-oriented, key-value, column-family, and graph databases. They provide flexibility to handle unstructured or semi-structured data.
- In-Memory Database: Stores data primarily in memory, resulting in extremely fast data retrieval but limited by available memory size.
- Distributed Database: Spreads data across multiple physical locations or servers, enhancing scalability and fault tolerance but requiring advanced coordination.
- Time-Series Database: Designed for efficiently handling time-stamped data, often used in applications like IoT and monitoring systems.
- Graph Database: Specialized for managing and querying data with complex relationships, making it ideal for applications like social networks and recommendation engines.
- Columnar Database: Stores data in columns rather than rows, which can improve query performance for analytics and reporting.
Each form of database organization has its strengths and weaknesses, making it suitable for specific use cases. The choice of which one to use depends on the nature of the data, the requirements of the application, and performance considerations.