Document databases first emerged as part of a NoSQL movement that provided developers with a means to build lightweight applications that did not require any assistance from a database administrator (DBA). Since then, document databases have become a preferred means for building a whole range of systems of engagement using a platform that more naturally reflects how many end users interact with data.
This week, Couchbase took that concept a step further with the release of an update to its document database that, among other things, includes tools to integrate Couchbase with the latest version of the Apache Spark in-memory computing framework for analyzing Big Data in real time, and a Sink connector that allows data from the Apache Kafka messaging system to be persisted when stored in Couchbase.
Other enhancements include support for the Microsoft.Net framework for building applications, and support for richer data types, alongside a series of performance and scaling improvements.
Ravi Mayuram, senior vice president of products and engineering for Couchbase, says that as document databases continue to mature, it’s becoming apparent that IT organizations need to manifest all kinds of data large and small via systems of engagement that often are the foundation of a digital business strategy. The reason for this is that a document database provides a much more flexible schema than traditional relational databases for developing these types of applications, says Mayuram.
Couchbase takes that a step further, says Mayuram, by providing a document database that runs in memory using a shared-nothing architecture.
“We’re starting to see Couchbase be deployed as the database for engagement that gets connected back to other systems of record,” says Mayuram.
That capability also provides the added benefit of creating a scenario where the developer can more easily manage that application throughout its entire lifecycle with minimal help from an internal IT operations team required.
Obviously, document databases are only one of many mechanisms that have found mainstream adoption in the enterprise over the last several years. But what is changing is that the applications running on those databases are becoming more strategic to the business with each passing day.
