Table of contents
1.
Introduction
2.
Key-Value Pair Databases
3.
Riak Key-Value Pair Databases
3.1.
Features of Riak
3.2.
Uses of Riak
4.
Evaluating Riak Key-Value Cluster for Big Data
5.
Frequently Asked Questions
5.1.
What are key-value databases?
5.2.
What are the Riak key-value databases?
5.3.
Is Riak key-value databases open source, and when to use them?
6.
Conclusion
Last Updated: Mar 27, 2024
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Riak Key Value Database

Author Aditi
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Introduction

A Database is an organized collection of structured data or information stored and accessed electronically in a computer system. Database management systems are used to control the databases. When databases are small, they can be stored in a file system otherwise hosted on cloud storage or computer clusters. 

Databases are helpful in efficiently storing large amounts of records (in little space). It is easy to add a new record and edit or delete the old record from databases. Searching is also easy in the database. There are different types of databases like relational NoSQL, cloud, columnar, wide column, object-oriented, key-value, hierarchical databases, etc. In this blog, we will focus more on key-value databases.

Key-Value Pair Databases

Key-Value Pair Databases, also known as KVP databases, have a key as a field name and attribute, an identifier. The field content is its value; it's the data that is being stored and identified. It is the most straightforward implementation of the NoSQL databases. They do not require a schema (like RDBMSs) and offer great flexibility and scalability. KVP databases do not provide ACID (Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, Durability) capability and require implementers to think about data placement, replication, and fault tolerance. The technology itself does not expressly control them. Most data is stored as strings because KVP databases are not typed.

A list of some sample key-value pairs is given below:-

This table contains a very simplified set of keys and values. Many individuals will have differing ideas about names, colors, and food in a big data implementation, as presented in the table below.

As the number of users grows in the Key-Value database, it becomes increasingly difficult to manage all the information. Since we do not have a specific schema or rules associated with the database, the database will likely grow exponentially. Choosing the correct Key-Value database is vital because that provides an additional set of data management tools and provides the best control over various business entities or aspects.

Riak Key-Value Pair Databases

Riak is one of the most popular open-source Key-Value Databases. It was developed and supported by a company called Basho Technologies (www.basho.com) and made available under the Apache Software License v2.0. It is known for its performance and durability with high volume and speed data. Additionally, it uses a collection key and values method ​​that continuously helps build a manageable system. 

Riak is the fastest launch of a key-value website and is scalable. It supports high-volume environments with fast-changing data because it is light-weighted and straightforward. Riak specializes in real-time analysis of financial services. It uses "buckets" to organize the collection of keys and values. Riak implementation is a collection of real or visual notes arranged peer-to-peer. There is no master node available, so the cluster is resilient and highly scalable. All data and functions are distributed throughout the collection. Riak collections have an exciting performance profile where larger clusters (with more nodes) perform better and faster than clusters with fewer nodes. Group communication is done through a unique protocol called Gossip. Gossip keeps status information about the collection and shares information about buckets.

Key-Value Databases are an excellent choice for social media, communities, and caching layers to connect to other information sites(databases). In simple terms, KVP databases are considered good options whenever we need flexibility and scalability in data storage.

Features of Riak

Riak has many features and is part of an ecosystem that includes the following:

  • Parallel processing: Riak supports filtering power and also answers questions across the clusters for real-time analysis and calculation by using MapReduce,
  • Links and line walking: Riak can be built to mimic a graph database using links. A link can be thought of as a one-way communication between pairs of key values. Walking (following) links will map the relationship between pairs of key values.
  • Search: Riak Search has error-free, widespread search for full-text capabilities. Buckets can be indexed to adjust the value of the key quickly.
  • Secondary indexes: Developers can mark values ​​with the value of one or more key fields. An application can query the index and return a list of similar keys. This can be very helpful in using big data because it is atomic and will support real-time behavior.

Uses of Riak

Riak implementation is better suited where

  • User data for social networks, communities, or games
  • Collection and storage of high-volume, media-rich data
  • Caching layers for connecting the RDBMS to the NoSQL databases 
  • Mobile applications that require flexibility and reliability

Evaluating Riak Key-Value Cluster for Big Data

The NoSQL database has become an essential alternative to traditional relational databases. Those databases are optimized for large, continuous, and flexible data management. They are widely used in cloud databases and distributed systems. With NoSQL databases, static schemes and many other restrictions are avoided. In the age of big data, such databases provide high availability solutions. Their key-value pair feature allows for faster retrieval of data and the ability to store it in bulk. There are many types of NoSQL databases with various functions. Therefore, comparing those different types of databases about performance and ensuring the relationship between performance and types of databases has become significant. 

When the Riak key-value database is tested and evaluated for large data sets using measurement tools, large amounts of data are stored and retrieved in different sizes in a distributed repository. The results show that the Riak key value is stable during use on small and large data volumes, and output efficiency increases as the number of threads increases.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are key-value databases?

Key-Value Pair Databases have a key as a field name and attribute, an identifier, and the content is its value.
 

What are the Riak key-value databases?

Riak is one of the most popular open-source Key-Value Databases developed and supported by Basho Technologies.


Is Riak key-value databases open source, and when to use them?

Riak key-value databases are open source and are a good choice when we need flexibility and scalability in data storage.

Conclusion

In this article, we have extensively discussed key-value databases and Riak key-value databases, their features, and implementations.  

We hope this blog has helped you enhance your knowledge regarding the riak key-value databases. Some official documentation on big data that can help you improve your understanding is Oracle Big DataBig Data SQLSQL Guide For Big DataBig DataApache Hadoop IBM, and Apache Hadoop.

If you would like to learn more, check out our articles on big dataHadoopMongoDBDatabases for development, and SQL vs. NoSQL. Practice makes a man perfect. To practice and improve yourself in the interview, you can check out Top 100 SQL problemsInterview experienceCoding interview questions, and the Ultimate guide path for interviews.

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