What this book covers
Chapter 1, SQL and NoSQL Databases: Characteristics, Design, and Trade-Offs, provides an overview of SQL and NoSQL databases, discussing their unique characteristics, design principles, and the trade-offs involved in choosing one over the other.
Chapter 2, Building a Strong Foundation for Database Design, covers the essential principles and best practices for designing robust databases. This chapter covers key concepts such as normalization, data modeling, and the importance of understanding business requirements when creating efficient and scalable database structures.
Chapter 3, Getting Your Hands Dirty with PostgreSQL and MySQL, focuses on the practical aspects of working with two of the most popular open source relational databases: PostgreSQL and MySQL. You will gain hands-on experience with installation, configuration, and basic operations, laying the groundwork for more advanced database tasks.
Chapter 4, Mastering the Building Blocks of Database Design and Modeling, explores the core components of database design and modeling in depth. The topics covered in this chapter include entity-relationship modeling, schema design, indexing strategies, and the use of constraints to ensure data integrity and performance.
Chapter 5, Advanced Techniques for Advanced Databases, goes into advanced database techniques such as query optimization, stored procedures, triggers, and views. You will learn how to use these features to enhance the functionality and efficiency of your databases.
Chapter 6, Understanding Database Scalability, covers scalability, which is a critical aspect of modern database design. This chapter examines different strategies for scaling databases, including vertical and horizontal scaling, sharding, replication, and the use of distributed databases to handle large-scale data processing.
Chapter 7, Best Practices for Building and Maintaining Your Database, provides a comprehensive guide to the best practices for database maintenance, including backup and recovery strategies, security measures, performance monitoring, and routine maintenance tasks to ensure the long-term health and reliability of databases.
Chapter 8, The Future of Databases and Their Designs, looks ahead and explores emerging trends and technologies in the database field. The topics in this chapter include the impact of artificial intelligence and machine learning on database management, the rise of cloud-based databases, and predictions for the future evolution of database design and technology.
