Getting Acquainted with NewSQL

Introduction

NewSQL is a relatively new Database Management System. It is so nascent that it is still not listed as proper DBMS because the rules and regulations are still unclear. 

To understand NewSQL, we need to know why the need was raised for a new Database when we already had two great and successful Databases(SQL & NoSQL). 

SQL is the most widely used and most preferred database of all time. The ACID properties used for it makes it one of its kind and ranks it higher than the other. 

NoSQL is another rising database that has recently gained more limelight due to the rise in Big data technologies and the need to store enormous documents/data coming from different sources.

We can read more about the difference between SQL VS NoSQL. 

Defining NewSQL

Over Wikipedia, NewSQL is defined as:- 

NewSQL is a class of relational database management systems that seek to provide the scalability of NoSQL systems for online transaction processing (OLTP) workloads while maintaining the ACID guarantees of a traditional database system.

As per the definition, NewSQL lies in between SQL and NoSQL, taking advantage of the positives from both databases.

Need for NewSQL

Now, let's try to understand why a sudden need for a New DBMS arises. 

If we look at the timelines, the NewSQL term was first used in the year 2011, a time when NoSQL just started rising in demands in the IT sector. 

 

One of the most important reasons for NewSQL is the disadvantages of both the existing DBMS. SQL lacked the scalability and workload that led to the rise of NoSQL, which solved the scalability and workload issues but missed an important feature of SQL, i.e. ACID(Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation & Durability). 

Thus a new system had to be designed which would be able to cater for the OLTP(online transaction processing) workload without compromising with ACID properties.

List of NewSQL Databases as per Wikipedia:- 

• Clustrix
• NuoDB
• VoltDB
• SingleStore was formerly known as MemSQL.
• TransLattice Elastic Database
• ActorDB
• Pivotal GemFire XD
• Apache Trafodion
• TokuDB
• TIBCO Active Spaces
• Agildata dbShards
• Google Spanner
• CockroachDB
• TiDB
• YugabyteDB

Feature

The main features of NewSQL that distinguishes it are:- 

• ACID support of SQL
• OLTP processing of NoSQL

Read-write transactions performed by NewSQL are characterised as:- 

• Short-lived.
• No full table scans or large distributed joins
• Executing the same queries with different inputs(repetitive).

Advantages

• Full transactional support, 
• Minimum application complexity, 
• Stronger consistency.
• Recognizable SQL and standard tooling.
• Richer analytics leveraging SQL and extensions.
• More traditional data and query models for NoSQL-style clustering.

Disadvantages

• No NewSQL systems are as general-purpose as traditional SQL systems set out to be.
• In-memory architectures may be inappropriate for volumes exceeding a few terabytes.
• Offers only partial access to the rich tooling of traditional SQL systems.

Summary

We looked at a relatively new term in Database Management System, i.e. NewSQL. Also, we had a look at its features, advantages and disadvantages. We also presented a list of NewSQL databases to date. 

That's all from here. Until then, This is the Quick DataScience Team providing a Quick and Easy guide/insight of NewSQL.