Designing A Non-Relational Database Engine Data Engineering Podcast

Summary

Databases come in a variety of formats for different use cases. The default association with the term "database" is relational engines, but non-relational engines are also used quite widely. In this episode Oren Eini, CEO and creator of RavenDB, explores the nuances of relational vs. non-relational engines, and the strategies for designing a non-relational database.


Announcements


Hello and welcome to the Data Engineering Podcast, the show about modern data management
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Your host is Tobias Macey and today I'm interviewing Oren Eini about the work of designing and building a NoSQL database engine


Interview


Introduction
How did you get involved in the area of data management?
Can you describe what constitutes a NoSQL database?


How have the requirements and applications of NoSQL engines changed since they first became popular ~15 years ago?

What are the factors that convince teams to use a NoSQL vs. SQL database?


NoSQL is a generalized term that encompasses a number of different data models. How does the underlying representation (e.g. document, K/V, graph) change that calculus?

How have the evolution in data formats (e.g. N-dimensional vectors, point clouds, etc.) changed the landscape for NoSQL engines?
When designing and building a database, what are the initial set of questions that need to be answered?


How many "core capabilities" can you reasonably design around before they conflict with each other?

How have you approached the evolution of RavenDB as you add new capabilities and mature the project?


What are some of the early decisions that had to be unwound to enable new capabilities?

If you were to start from scratch today, what database would you build?
What are the most interesting, innovative, or unexpected ways that you have seen RavenDB/NoSQL databases used?
What are the most interesting, unexpected, or challenging lesson