NoSQL Schema Design
NoSQL schema design starts with how the data will be queried. Model around access patterns first, then choose indexes and document shapes that support those queries.
When To Use NoSQL
- The schema changes often.
- Horizontal scaling is important.
- Query patterns are known and can be optimized.
- The application needs high write or read throughput.
- The data naturally fits documents, key-value pairs, wide columns, or graph relationships.
Design Priorities
- Query patterns
- Index strategy
- Document size
- Data duplication
- Consistency requirements
- Sharding or partition keys
Types Of NoSQL Databases
| Type | Good For |
|---|---|
| Document | JSON-like documents, flexible structure, nested data. |
| Key-value | Fast lookup by simple keys. |
| Wide-column | Large-scale datasets grouped by column families. |
| Graph | Highly connected data modeled as nodes and edges. |