Introduction:

Whether you are dealing with large data volumes, high transaction throughput, or a massive number of concurrent users, modern internet and mobile applications require databases that can handle these demands. The ability to quickly accommodate growth and changes is crucial. In this article, we will compare MongoDB and MySQL, two popular database solutions, across three main areas: scalability, throughput, and cloud-readiness.

Scalability, Throughput, and Cloud-Readiness

Both MongoDB and MySQL, when combined with ScaleBase, leverage proven techniques to scale out applications effectively. One powerful technique is auto-sharding, which involves splitting large data sets into smaller partitions placed on multiple servers. This division of data allows for increased throughput, more concurrent users, and larger overall database size.

MongoDB Sharding

In MongoDB, sharding is a key component of achieving scalability. Data is split between shards using a shard key, which identifies the data to be sharded. The data is divided into “chunks,” with each shard responsible for one or more chunks. MongoDB controls which replica set is stored on a particular shard. The application connects to the mongos, which routes queries to the appropriate backend database or databases. Data distribution occurs at the database level, and most query processing is done in the data layer.

ScaleBase Sharding

ScaleBase, like MongoDB, automates sharding and handles data distribution at the database level. However, ScaleBase maintains a relational data environment and ensures that data accessed together is stored together. Unlike MongoDB, ScaleBase supports joins and retains data relations expressed in joins and transactions. ScaleBase also provides agility, flexibility, and growth, with dynamic database optimization and rebalancing.

Retaining ACID / SQL

With ScaleBase, joins are supported even in a distributed environment. ScaleBase allows local joins within one shard as well as cross-database joins. Unlike MongoDB, where joins are accomplished in the application, ScaleBase automatically aggregates data across shards. This gives you ACID transactions and 2-phase commits across a sharded cluster of MySQL database nodes.

MySQL Ecosystem

ScaleBase preserves your MySQL skills and ecosystem technologies. It provides scalability to your existing MySQL applications and offers a modern, distributed, and relational data framework with near-linear scalability for new MySQL apps.

Conclusion

In conclusion, both MongoDB and MySQL with ScaleBase offer scalability, throughput, and cloud-readiness. MongoDB is a popular NoSQL database known for its scalability, while MySQL is the most widely used open-source database with a rich ecosystem. ScaleBase, built using standard MySQL, provides a modern relational database platform optimized for the cloud and takes advantage of your existing MySQL development skills and ecosystem technologies.

If you are interested in exploring ScaleBase further, you can download a free 30-day trial.

Stay tuned for the next article, where we will delve into MongoDB and ScaleBase data models and examine how they handle data distribution and redistribution.