NoSQL and DBaaS 101

Are you building a new application and want to utilize an operational datastore that has a flexible schema for fast and simple development? Do you need to ensure your entire application stack can scale elastically to accommodate a fast-growing dataset and a surge in concurrent users? Are you struggling with the management of an existing datastore and want to offload administration to a service provider? Do you require high availability and disaster recovery redundancy across nodes, data centers, geographies or asynchronous mobile/client access to application data?If you answered yes to any of the questions above, then you have probably started to explore NoSQL and/or Database-as-a-Service offerings. In this NoSQL course, we will provide an overview of the NoSQL database landscape, the benefits of using a Database-as-a-Service offering, and where Cloudant fits into the picture. Additionally, we’ll get you started with using Cloudant by providing tutorials on account sign up, creating and replicating databases, loading and querying data, and conclude by pointing you to additional resources to continue on your education.

After completing this course, you should be able to:

• Define NoSQL, its characteristics and history, and the primary benefits for using NoSQL databases.
• Define the major types of NoSQL databases including a primary use case and advantages/disadvantages of each type.
• Describe the factors affecting return on investment for using locally hosted database vs. database-as-a-service.
• List the key benefits of IBM Cloudant, a NoSQL Database-as-a-Service for Web and mobile applications.
• Create a document database, add documents, and run queries using IBM Cloudant.
• Access additional resources including training, documentation, articles, and books to continue to learn about NoSQL databases.