WORKSHOP: A Close-up to NoSQL

Big Data Architectures separate storage of data from computing, thus making the storage layer one of the main decisions points in building a solution. Depending on what type of data you have (structured/ flexible structured data), the required speed to write or read the data, the velocity of the incoming data, to name just a few criteria – inside the storage layer one of the possible choices it’s the NoSQL database. NoSQL systems are usually open source, distributed and highly scalable – to list some of their characteristics – and while they solve many of the modern businesses challenges, they also introduce new ways of thinking about the data, it’s consistency and it’s modeling. There are a few concepts that stand behind NoSQL databases that – once understood – can pave a better view of the NoSQL solutions and their usability.

This workshop is aimed at professionals with relational databases background that would like to understand better the concepts and applicability of non-relational databases, but as well to the ones interested in big data architectures in general. We will go through some of the main NoSQL concepts while giving example from several NoSQL solutions. We will conclude the theoretical part with some examples and exercises of how data modeling looks like in NoSQL systems.

Agenda:

Why NoSQL and the roles of both relational and non-relational systems in big data architectures.
Main concepts behind NoSQL solutions (distribution and partitioning of data, query-driven data modeling,..), exemplified with different NoSQL solutions implementations.
Examples of real-life implementations and the drivers behind choosing different relational and/or non-relational solutions.
Hands-on session: how to model your data with different NoSQL solutions.

Resources: This workshop will be run completely in a cloud environment. Participants will need their laptops, open Internet connectivity, and a browser in order to run the exercises.

Trainers: Valentina Crisan, Gabriel Preda