🗃 MODULE 3 – NOSQL DATABASES
✳ SHORT-ANSWER QUESTIONS (2–3 MARKS)
1. What is NoSQL?
NoSQL (Not Only SQL) is a non-relational database system designed to handle large-scale data
storage and real-time web applications without requiring a xed schema.
2. Who introduced NoSQL and when?
Carl Strozzi introduced the concept of NoSQL in 1998.
3. De ne CAP theorem.
The CAP theorem states that a distributed database can only guarantee two of the following three:
Consistency, Availability, and Partition Tolerance.
4. What are the three components of CAP theorem?
• Consistency
• Availability
• Partition Tolerance
5. What is consistency in CAP theorem?
Consistency ensures all nodes in a distributed system re ect the same data at the same time.
6. De ne availability.
Availability guarantees that every request receives a response, even during partial failures.
7. What is partition tolerance?
Partition tolerance ensures the system continues operating despite network failures or partitions.
8. Why was NoSQL developed?
To overcome the limitations of relational databases in handling massive, unstructured, and
distributed data ef ciently.
9. Mention any two features of NoSQL.
• Schema-free design
• Easy scalability
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10. List types of NoSQL databases.
• Key-Value Stores
• Column-oriented
• Document-oriented
• Graph-based
11. What is a Key-Value pair database?
Data is stored as unique key-value pairs, where each key points to a value (e.g., Redis,
DynamoDB).
12. What is schema-free database?
Schema-free databases don’t require a prede ned structure, allowing exible data storage formats.
13. Give two advantages of NoSQL over RDBMS.
• High scalability
• Handles unstructured data effectively
14. What is scaling out?
Scaling out means adding more servers to distribute the load, unlike scaling up which upgrades
hardware.
15. Mention two examples of NoSQL databases.
• MongoDB
• Cassandra
📘 LONG-ANSWER QUESTIONS (5–10 MARKS)
1. Explain the concept of NoSQL and its need in Big Data analytics.
NoSQL databases are designed for distributed data storage with exible schemas. They handle
massive, unstructured data ef ciently. Unlike RDBMS, they scale horizontally and provide faster
read/write operations. This is ideal for Big Data applications such as social media and IoT.
2. Describe the CAP Theorem and its components.
CAP theorem explains trade-offs between:
• Consistency: Same data across nodes.
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• Availability: System responds to every request.
• Partition Tolerance: Operates even with network issues.
NoSQL databases often balance these factors differently depending on use cases (e.g.,
Cassandra favors availability, HBase favors consistency).
3. Discuss the features of NoSQL databases.
• Schema-free data model
• Easy scalability
• High performance and exibility
• Distributed and fault-tolerant
• Supports unstructured and semi-structured data
• Simple APIs and web-enabled interfaces
4. Compare NoSQL and RDBMS.
Feature RDBMS NoSQL
Non-
Data Model Relational
relational
Schema Fixed Flexible
Scalability Vertical Horizontal
Query
SQL APIs / JSON
Language
Fully Often
ACID
Supported Relaxed
5. Explain types of NoSQL databases with examples.
• Key-Value Stores (Redis): Store data as key-value pairs.
• Document Stores (MongoDB): Use JSON-like documents.
• Column Stores (Cassandra): Data stored in columns for analytics.
• Graph Databases (Neo4j): Represent data as nodes and relationships.
6. Discuss architecture and working of Key-Value pair databases.
Key-Value databases use hash tables for storage. Each key is unique and retrieves its value directly.
They support fast access and are highly scalable, suitable for caching and session management.
7. Write a note on the evolution and history of NoSQL.
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• 1998 – Carl Strozzi introduced the term.
• 2000 – Neo4j (Graph DB) launched.
• 2004 – Google BigTable introduced.
• 2005 – CouchDB launched.
• 2008 – Facebook open-sourced Cassandra.
• 2009 – NoSQL reintroduced for Big Data systems.
8. Explain advantages and limitations of NoSQL.
Advantages: Scalability, high performance, exibility, and easy replication.
Limitations: Limited support for complex queries, weaker consistency, lack of standardization.
9. Describe how NoSQL ensures scalability and fault tolerance.
NoSQL distributes data across multiple nodes with replication and partitioning. If one node fails,
others take over. Horizontal scaling allows addition of new nodes without downtime, ensuring
continuous operation.
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