Data plays a crucial role in sculpting today’s modern world. Everything from governmental organizations to privatized companies relies on efficient storage, modification, and management of data to function properly. Long gone are the days of painstakingly writing down every piece of information in registers and files. With both the amount and complexity of data increasing we became heavily reliant on databases.
Modern servers are engineering marvels capable of managing several hundred or even thousand terabytes of data. But to do so they need an efficient database that can be reliably and easily accessed by the developers. Let’s talk about one such database, MongoDB.
What is MongoDB?
Launched in February 2009 by MongoDB.Inc, MongoDB is the child of decade-long NoSQL improvements. It is one of the most widely used NoSQL databases and features driver support for all modern programming languages.
The database itself is source available, document-oriented, and uses JSON-like documents paired with optional schemas. Published under SSPL (Server-Side Public Language) MongoDB.inc does a pretty good job of providing continuous support and necessary updates to keep MongoDB relevant in modern industrial scenarios.
The rising demand for skilled backend developers means MongoDB online certifications are having an upsurge in popularity.
The database is currently in its 5th iteration and used by MNCs worldwide to reliably store and manage data, thanks to its high level of flexibility and versatility.
Some Features of MongoDB
Document Oriented: MongoDB ditches the traditional way of storing data inside tables in favor of documents. This makes accessing data much easier and more versatile as there are no restrictions of rows and columns allowing for greater freedom of movement for that data.
Data Duplication: A key feature of MongoDB is creating multiple copies of the same data and storing them in separate servers while still being easily accessible to the user. Apart from just increasing the usability of the data it also safeguards the data in case of a server failure as multiple sets of the same data are saved across many servers.
Schemaless Design: The database being schema-less essentially means that a single document can hold multiple types of data, more so a single collection will be able to store multiple documents of different attributes like size, field, etc.
Flexibility: All of the above features add up to improve the overall flexibility of MongoDB. This flexibility is what allows MongoDB to outperform its competition.
Real-life implications
Despite being a relatively new player in Data Storage, Mongo DB has quickly gained popularity thanks to its document-oriented NoSQL features. It is extremely good at handling large amounts of data and thanks to its wide driver support can work with almost any programming language.
MongoDB is a staple for companies that deal with large amounts of data regularly and some of its notable users are E-bay, Amazon, Facebook, and even the government of India’s identification project Adhaar.
Conclusion
MongoDB will continue to gain popularity as more and more companies crucially rely on data management for their day to functioning. Its continued and updated support paired with its open-source nature will keep it relevant for years to come.