DAR ES SALAAM INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY ( DIT )

DEPARTMENT: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

MODULE: DATABASE FUNDAMENTALS

CLASS CODE: ITT 04113

TOPIC: TYPES OF DATABASES

GROUP MEMBERS:

S/N NAME OF STUDENT REGISTRATION NUMBER

1 KELVIN TUKAE MSOSSY 230222452613
2 PRISCA AUGUSTINO MSHANA 230222488500
3 JOSELINI JOSEPH MSANZYA 230222455202
4 NUNGU JUMANNE NYANDA 23022393799
5 EUNICE EDWIN RWEBU 23022349874
6 MPOKI NOEL 230222431393
Introduction;
In the ever-expanding universe of data management, the diversity of database types mirrors the
multifaceted nature of information itself. From traditional relational databases to cutting-edge
NoSQL variants, the realm of databases encompasses a spectrum of structures, each tailored to
meet specific demands and navigate distinct data landscape. On our presentation we are going
explore on the types database, their advantages and disadvantages of each type and where each
type is commonly used;

Relational Databases (RDBMS): Relational databases organize data into tables with rows and
columns, each row representing a record and each column representing a data attribute. They use
a Structured Query Language (SQL) for managing and querying data. This type ensures data
integrity through relationships between tables and supports ACID properties (Atomicity,
Consistency, Isolation, Durability).
Advantages:
 Structured data storage with predefined schema ensures data integrity.
 Support for ACID properties (Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, Durability)
ensures transaction reliability.
 Mature technology with well-established standards and wide industry adoption.
Disadvantages:
 Might face scalability challenges when handling massive data growth.
 Schemas can be rigid, making it cumbersome to adapt to changing data structures.
Common Use Cases: Banking systems, e-commerce platforms, CRM systems where structured
and consistent data storage is crucial.
NoSQL Databases:
NoSQL databases encompass various non-relational database types, offering flexibility and
scalability. These databases handle unstructured or semi-structured data and diverge from the
tabular structure of relational databases. They include document stores, key-value stores,
column-family stores, and graph databases, catering to specific data modeling needs and
emphasizing horizontal scalability.
 Advantages:
 Flexible schema or schema-less design accommodates unstructured or semi-
structured data.
 High scalability and performance for handling large volumes of data.
  Well-suited for distributed and horizontally scalable architectures.
 Disadvantages:
 Lack of standardized query language across different NoSQL types.
 Might sacrifice certain ACID properties for performance gains.
 Common Use Cases:
 Document databases like MongoDB for content management systems.
 Key-value stores like Redis for caching and session management.
 Column-family stores like Cassandra for time-series data and large-scale
applications.
NewSQL Databases:
NewSQL databases combine the benefits of traditional SQL databases with the scalability
features of NoSQL. They focus on scaling out (horizontally) across multiple nodes while
ensuring ACID compliance for transactions. NewSQL databases are designed for high
performance and distributed computing.
Advantages:
 Combine the benefits of relational databases (ACID compliance) with horizontal
scalability.
 Designed for high-performance, distributed environments.
Disadvantages:
 Relatively newer technology with fewer available options compared to traditional
RDBMS.
 Complexity in implementation and administration.
Common Use Cases: Applications requiring both transactional guarantees and high scalability,
such as financial systems and large-scale enterprise applications
Object-Oriented Databases:
Object-oriented databases store data as objects, allowing complex data structures to be stored,
retrieved, and manipulated directly without mapping them to relational tables. They support
inheritance, encapsulation, and other object-oriented programming principles.
Advantages:
 Directly store and access complex data structures as objects.
 Supports object-oriented programming concepts like inheritance and
encapsulation.
Disadvantages:
  Limited adoption and fewer available tools compared to relational databases.
 Might have compatibility issues when integrating with applications designed for
relational databases.
Common Use Cases: Scientific and engineering applications, where data models closely
resemble real-world objects and complex relationships
Time-Series Databases:
Time-series databases specialize in handling data points indexed by time. They are optimized for
storing and retrieving time-stamped or time-series data generated from sensors, IoT devices,
financial transactions, etc., enabling efficient analysis and visualization of temporal data.
Advantages:
 Optimized for storing and retrieving time-stamped data efficiently.
 Enables real-time analytics and monitoring of time-series data.
Disadvantages:
 Limited applicability beyond time-series data.
 May require additional data processing for complex analytics.
Common Use Cases: IoT applications, financial markets, sensor data analysis, and monitoring
systems.
Data Warehouses:
Data warehouses aggregate and store large volumes of historical data from various sources. They
are optimized for online analytical processing (OLAP) and facilitate complex queries for
business intelligence, reporting, and data analysis
Advantages:
 Centralized storage for historical data, optimized for complex analytical queries.
 Provides a single source of truth for business intelligence and decision-making.
Disadvantages:
 High initial setup and maintenance costs.
 Might face challenges in handling real-time data processing.
Common Use Cases: Business intelligence, reporting, data analysis, and decision support
systems in enterprises
Distributed Databases: Distributed databases store data across multiple nodes or servers,
providing scalability, fault tolerance, and high availability. They use distributed computing
principles to manage data replication, partitioning, and consistency across nodes.
Advantages:
 Scalability, fault tolerance, and high availability through distributed architecture.
 Redundancy and data replication for fault tolerance.
Disadvantages:
 Complexity in managing data consistency across distributed nodes.
 Increased network communication and latency issues.
Common Use Cases: Large-scale applications requiring high availability, social networks,
cloud-based systems.
In-Memory Databases: In-memory databases primarily rely on RAM for data storage and
retrieval, offering extremely fast access speeds compared to disk-based databases. They are ideal
for applications that require high-performance data processing and real-time analytics.
Advantages:
 Extremely fast data access and processing speeds due to reliance on RAM.
 Ideal for real-time analytics and applications requiring high throughput.
Disadvantages:
 Limited by the size of available RAM.
 Data volatility and potential data loss during system failures.
Common Use Cases: High-speed caching, real-time analytics, and applications requiring
lightning-fast data retrieval

In conclusion; databases play a pivotal role in managing and organizing vast amounts of
information across various industries and applications. The diversity of database types, ranging
from relational to NoSQL, graph, and distributed databases, underscores the importance of
selecting the right database model based on specific needs and functionalities. Each type offers
distinct advantages and is tailored to accommodate different data structures, scalability
requirements, and query complexities. As technology continues to evolve, the landscape of
databases will undoubtedly expand, introducing innovative solutions to address the ever-growing
demand for efficient data storage, retrieval, and analysis. Understanding the characteristics and
strengths of different database types empowers businesses and developers to make informed
decisions that optimize performance, enhance data integrity, and ultimately drive progress in a
data-centric world.
to explore on the types database, their advantages and disadvantages of each type and where each
type is commonly used;