Database Reference
In-Depth Information
A database for
the modern web
In this chapter
MongoDB's history, design goals, and key features
A brief introduction to the shell and the drivers
Use cases and limitations
If you've built web applications in recent years, you've probably used a relational
database as the primary data store, and it probably performed acceptably. Most
developers are familiar with
SQL
, and most of us can appreciate the beauty of a well-
normalized data model, the necessity of transactions, and the assurances provided
by a durable storage engine. And even if we don't like working with relational data-
bases directly, a host of tools, from administrative consoles to object-relational map-
pers, helps alleviate any unwieldy complexity. Simply put, the relational database is
mature and well known. So when a small but vocal cadre of developers starts advo-
cating alternative data stores, questions about the viability and utility of these new
technologies arise. Are these new data stores replacements for relational database
systems? Who's using them in production, and why? What are the trade-offs involved
in moving to a nonrelational database? The answers to those questions rest on the
answer to this one: why are developers interested in MongoDB?
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