A database is a collection of records or data that is stored in a computer system. Database tools and applications are designed to help you store and manage data in a controlled and structured manner. A database is a vital system for any organisation that stores mission critical information. The continual failure of a company’s database system will inevitably lead to the demise of the organisation; companies cannot function without a fully working database system.
There are a number of different types of database. The most popular choice in storing data such as personal information, financial records, and medical records is the relational database management system. This type of system makes use of common ‘keys’ to tie related information together with data being manipulated with the SQL data definition and query language. SQL has many strengths for querying data. However, there are some disadvantages inherent in SQL. For example, SQL does not scale horizontally particularly well.
A column-oriented database, also known as a columnar database, is a type of database management system that stores data on disk in columns rather than rows. This organization improves query performance, particularly for data analytics and warehousing, by enabling efficient retrieval of specific columns of data. Column-oriented databases are particularly advantageous for analytics queries that frequently scan or aggregate over large datasets but only need a few columns. Columnar databases are a type of NoSQL database.
Here’s our verdict captured in a legendary LinuxLinks-style ratings chart. Only free and open source software is eligible for inclusion here.
Click the links in the table below to learn more about each database.
| Column-Oriented Databases | |
|---|---|
| MariaDB ColumnStore | Uses a massively parallel distributed data architecture |
| DuckDB | In-process SQL OLAP database management system |
| Druid | High performance, real-time analytics database |
| Databend | Cloud data warehouse |
| ClickHouse | Real-time analytics database management system |
| InfluxDB Core | Scalable datastore for metrics, events, and real-time analytics |
| Doris | Modern data warehouse for real-time analytics |
| VictoriaMetrics | Scalable solution for monitoring and managing time series data |
| StarRocks | High-performance analytical database |
| MonetDB | High performance relational database system for analytics |
| Kudu | Distributed data storage engine |
| Pinot | Real-time analytics platform |
| CrateDB | Distributed SQL database management |
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