There are many flavors of NoSQL database. The following are the four most common types of NoSQL database:
- Key/value: This is a persistent dictionary. It is best for when we know the key and we need to retrieve the associated value for the key.
- Column, wide-column, or column-family: This organizes related data into columns instead of the typical organization in rows. It is best for when we need to query across specific columns in the database.
- Document: This allows persisting JSON objects (documents), which can include nested objects or arrays of other objects.
- Graph: This allows you to persist edges and nodes with their properties. It is best for when we need to store and navigate through complex relationships.
The following diagram outlines each of the four explained flavors of NoSQL database to make it easy to understand the typical data they persist:
Cosmos DB uses a schema-agnostic data store on top of the previously explained main features that provide a core platform. Cosmos DB can efficiently project this data store to the four previously listed NoSQL data models. Thus, the database service allows us to select the most appropriate NoSQL data model based on our needs, and we can take full advantage of partitioning, replication, and resource governance with any of them.
