Data & Storage Glossary

Database technologies, storage solutions, data processing, analytics, and data management strategies.

62 Terms
All Skill Levels
Real Examples
10
Basic Terms
23
Intermediate Terms
29
Advanced Terms

62 Terms

Database

basic

An organized collection of information stored electronically. Like a digital filing cabinet with super-fast search.

Example: Facebook uses databases to store user profiles, posts, and photos for billions of people....

Cloud Storage

basic

Saving your files on someone else's computers via the internet instead of on your device. Like a safety deposit box for data.

Example: Google Drive, Dropbox, and iCloud let you access your photos and documents from any device....

Backup

basic

Making copies of important data in case the original gets lost or damaged. Like keeping photocopies of important documents.

Example: Automatically backing up your phone photos to the cloud prevents losing them if your phone breaks....

Data Replication

intermediate

Creating and maintaining duplicate copies of data across multiple locations or servers for reliability and performance. Like having backup copies of important files in different buildings.

Example: A global application replicates user data across data centers in different continents so users get f...

S3

basic

Simple Storage Service - Amazon's service for storing files in the cloud. Like having an unlimited digital storage unit that you can access from anywhere.

Example: A photo sharing app stores all user photos in S3 so they're always available and automatically backe...

Event Streaming

advanced

Real-time processing of data events as they happen. Like a live news feed that processes and responds to events as they occur.

Example: Netflix uses event streaming to update recommendations instantly based on what you're currently watc...

Big Data

advanced

Extremely large datasets that require special tools to store, process, and analyze. Like trying to organize all the books in every library in the world.

Example: Social media companies process big data to analyze billions of posts, likes, and user interactions t...

EBS

intermediate

Elastic Block Store - AWS persistent storage that attaches to EC2 instances. Like having a dedicated hard drive that you can unplug from one computer and plug into another.

Example: A database server uses EBS volumes to store data that persists even if the server needs to be replac...

EFS

intermediate

Elastic File System - AWS shared file storage that multiple servers can access simultaneously. Like a shared network drive that all computers in an office can access.

Example: Multiple web servers use EFS to share website files, ensuring all servers have the same content....

Glacier

intermediate

AWS long-term archival storage service for data you rarely access. Like putting old documents in a warehouse - cheaper to store but takes time to retrieve.

Example: A company stores old employee records in Glacier for compliance, accessing them only when legally re...

RDS

intermediate

Relational Database Service - AWS managed database service that handles maintenance, backups, and scaling. Like having a database administrator without hiring one.

Example: An e-commerce site uses RDS for their product catalog database, with AWS handling all backups and up...

DynamoDB

intermediate

AWS NoSQL database service that scales automatically and provides fast performance. Like a super-fast filing system that can handle millions of requests per second.

Example: A gaming app uses DynamoDB to store player scores and achievements, handling millions of players sim...

Aurora

advanced

AWS high-performance database that's compatible with MySQL and PostgreSQL but up to 5x faster. Like a race car version of a regular car - same controls, much better performance.

Example: A financial trading platform uses Aurora to handle thousands of transactions per second with ultra-l...

Redshift

advanced

AWS data warehouse service for analyzing large amounts of data quickly. Like having a super-powerful calculator designed specifically for big data problems.

Example: A retail company uses Redshift to analyze years of sales data to identify trends and optimize invent...

Cosmos DB

advanced

Azure globally distributed NoSQL database service. Like having identical copies of your database instantly available worldwide.

Example: A global gaming company uses Cosmos DB so players anywhere in the world get fast response times....

BigQuery

advanced

Google Cloud's serverless data warehouse for analyzing massive datasets quickly. Like having a super-computer that can answer complex questions about huge amounts of data in seconds.

Example: A media company uses BigQuery to analyze billions of user interactions to understand viewing pattern...

Cloud Spanner

advanced

Google Cloud's globally distributed database that combines the benefits of relational databases with horizontal scaling. Like having a database that works like a local one but can handle global-scale traffic.

Example: A global financial services company uses Cloud Spanner to handle millions of transactions worldwide ...

Cloud Dataflow

advanced

Google Cloud's stream and batch data processing service. Like having a factory assembly line that can process both steady streams of data and large batches efficiently.

Example: A ride-sharing company uses Dataflow to process real-time location data from millions of drivers and...

SQL

intermediate

Structured Query Language - standard language for managing and querying relational databases. Like having a universal language for asking questions about organized data.

Example: Data analysts use SQL commands like 'SELECT * FROM customers' to retrieve customer information from ...

NoSQL

intermediate

Database systems that don't use traditional SQL structure, designed for flexible data storage. Like having different filing systems optimized for different types of information.

Example: Social media platforms use NoSQL databases to store user posts, photos, and interactions in flexible...

ACID

advanced

Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, Durability - properties that guarantee database transactions are processed reliably. Like having strict rules that ensure bank transfers either complete fully or not at all.

Example: When you transfer money between accounts, ACID properties ensure the money is either transferred com...

ETL

advanced

Extract, Transform, Load - process of moving data from various sources to a data warehouse. Like sorting, cleaning, and organizing items from different stores into one organized warehouse.

Example: Companies use ETL to combine sales data from different regions into a single database for analysis....

OLTP

advanced

Online Transaction Processing - database systems optimized for handling many small transactions quickly. Like a busy cash register that processes hundreds of purchases efficiently.

Example: E-commerce websites use OLTP databases to handle thousands of order transactions per minute....

OLAP

advanced

Online Analytical Processing - database systems optimized for complex queries and data analysis. Like a research library designed for deep investigation rather than quick lookups.

Example: Business analysts use OLAP systems to analyze sales trends across different regions and time periods...

Autonomous Database

advanced

Oracle's self-managing database that uses machine learning to automate maintenance, security, and performance tuning. Like having a database administrator that never sleeps and constantly optimizes everything.

Example: A financial services company uses Autonomous Database to eliminate manual database maintenance while...

Exadata

advanced

Oracle's high-performance database machine optimized for running Oracle databases. Like a sports car specifically designed for racing - built for maximum database performance.

Example: Large enterprises use Exadata for their most demanding database workloads requiring extreme performa...

Kinesis

advanced

AWS platform for real-time data streaming and analytics. Like a high-speed conveyor belt for processing millions of data records per second.

Example: A social media platform uses Kinesis to analyze millions of user interactions in real-time for trend...

Athena

intermediate

AWS interactive query service for analyzing data in S3 using SQL. Like having a powerful search engine that can instantly find answers in massive amounts of stored data.

Example: Data analysts use Athena to query terabytes of log files stored in S3 without setting up any infrast...

Glue

advanced

AWS fully managed ETL service for preparing data for analytics. Like having a data processing factory that automatically cleans and organizes raw data.

Example: Companies use Glue to automatically transform and catalog data from multiple sources for business in...

EMR

advanced

Elastic MapReduce - AWS big data platform using open source tools like Apache Spark and Hadoop. Like renting a supercomputer cluster specifically designed for processing massive datasets.

Example: A genomics research company uses EMR to process DNA sequencing data that would take months on regula...

Event Hubs

advanced

Azure big data streaming platform for receiving and processing millions of events per second. Like a massive digital funnel that can handle enormous amounts of real-time data.

Example: IoT sensors from thousands of devices send data to Event Hubs for real-time monitoring and analytics...

Stream Analytics

advanced

Azure real-time analytics service for processing streaming data. Like having a smart analyst that can spot patterns and trends in live data streams.

Example: A traffic management system uses Stream Analytics to process real-time sensor data and optimize traf...

Data Factory

intermediate

Azure cloud-based data integration service for creating data-driven workflows. Like having a data assembly line that moves and transforms information between different systems.

Example: A retail company uses Data Factory to move sales data from stores to their central data warehouse ni...

Time Series Database

intermediate

Database optimized for storing and querying time-stamped data like sensor readings or metrics. Like a specialized filing system designed for tracking how things change over time.

Example: Manufacturing companies use time series databases to store and analyze machine performance data over...

MongoDB

intermediate

Popular NoSQL document database that stores data in flexible, JSON-like documents. Like a filing system that can store different types of documents without requiring the same structure.

Example: Content management systems use MongoDB to store articles, images, and user data in flexible document...

Redis

intermediate

In-memory data structure store used as database, cache, and message broker. Like having extremely fast memory storage that can instantly retrieve frequently used information.

Example: Web applications use Redis to cache user sessions and frequently accessed data for lightning-fast re...

Elasticsearch

advanced

Distributed search and analytics engine for storing, searching, and analyzing large volumes of data quickly. Like having a super-fast librarian that can instantly find any information in millions of documents.

Example: E-commerce sites use Elasticsearch to provide instant product search results from catalogs with mill...

Apache Kafka

advanced

Distributed streaming platform for building real-time data pipelines and streaming applications. Like a high-speed highway system for data that can handle millions of messages per second.

Example: Financial trading platforms use Kafka to process millions of market data updates and trade orders in...

Google Cloud Storage

basic

Google Cloud's object storage service for storing and retrieving any amount of data. Like having unlimited digital storage space accessible from anywhere.

Example: Media companies use Google Cloud Storage to store petabytes of video content and deliver it globally...

BigTable

advanced

Google Cloud's NoSQL wide-column database for real-time analytics. Like having a massive spreadsheet that can handle billions of rows and columns instantly.

Example: Social media platforms use BigTable to store and analyze billions of user interactions and timeline ...

Dataproc

advanced

Google Cloud's managed Apache Spark and Hadoop service for big data processing. Like renting a supercomputer cluster that's pre-configured for data analysis.

Example: Research institutions use Dataproc to process climate modeling data that requires massive computatio...

ElastiCache

intermediate

AWS in-memory caching service for improving application performance. Like having a high-speed memory bank that stores frequently accessed data.

Example: E-commerce sites use ElastiCache to store shopping cart data and frequently viewed product informati...

RDBMS

intermediate

Relational Database Management System - software for managing databases that organize data in tables with relationships. Like a sophisticated filing system with connected drawers.

Example: MySQL, PostgreSQL, and Oracle are popular RDBMS solutions used by businesses to store structured dat...

Sharding

advanced

Database architecture pattern that distributes data across multiple database instances. Like splitting a large library into multiple buildings, each containing different sections.

Example: Social media platforms use sharding to distribute user data across multiple databases based on geogr...

Replication

intermediate

Creating copies of data across multiple database servers for availability and performance. Like having backup copies of important documents stored in different safe locations.

Example: Global applications use database replication to ensure users can access data quickly from servers in...

Document Database

intermediate

NoSQL database that stores data in document format, typically JSON-like structures. Like having a flexible filing system where each folder can contain different types of documents.

Example: Content management systems use document databases to store articles with different structures and me...

Key-Value Store

basic

Simple database model that stores data as key-value pairs. Like having a giant dictionary where you can look up any value using its unique key.

Example: Session storage systems use key-value stores to quickly retrieve user session data using session IDs...

Column Family

advanced

NoSQL database model that stores data in column families rather than rows. Like organizing information by categories where each category can have different attributes.

Example: Social media platforms use column family databases to efficiently store user profiles with varying a...

Graph Database

advanced

Database designed for storing and querying data with complex relationships. Like having a map that shows how everything is connected to everything else.

Example: Social networks use graph databases to efficiently find connections between users and suggest new fr...

Geo-Redundancy

intermediate

Storing copies of data in multiple geographic locations to protect against regional disasters. Like keeping important documents in safe deposit boxes in different cities.

Example: Cloud storage services keep your files in data centers across different continents so earthquakes or...

Azure Synapse Analytics

advanced

Microsoft's unified analytics platform combining big data and data warehousing. Like having a super-powered data analysis factory that can process any amount of information.

Example: Large corporations use Synapse Analytics to analyze years of sales data and identify business trends...

OCI File Storage

intermediate

Oracle's enterprise-grade network file system with NFS support. Like having a shared network drive that all your cloud applications can access simultaneously.

Example: Media production companies use File Storage to share large video files across multiple editing works...

Blob Storage

intermediate

Azure's object storage service optimized for storing massive amounts of unstructured data like images and videos.

Example: Websites use Blob Storage to store and serve user-uploaded photos and documents....

File

basic

A collection of data stored on a computer with a specific name and format. Like a digital document, photo, or song that you can save and organize.

Example: Your vacation photos, work documents, and music songs are all different types of files stored on you...

Folder

basic

A container that organizes and groups related files together. Like a digital filing cabinet drawer where you keep similar documents organized.

Example: You might have a 'Photos' folder containing all your pictures and a 'Work' folder containing all you...

QR Code

basic

A square barcode that stores information and can be scanned with a smartphone camera. Like a digital business card that contains links, contact info, or other data.

Example: Restaurants use QR codes on tables that you scan with your phone camera to instantly view their menu...

Data Redundancy

basic

Keeping multiple copies of important data in different locations to prevent loss. Like having photocopies of important documents stored in different safe places.

Example: Cloud storage services use data redundancy to keep your photos safe - if one server fails, your phot...

Object Storage

intermediate

Storage system that manages data as objects (files with metadata) rather than traditional file systems. Like a massive digital warehouse where each item has its own unique ID and description.

Example: Amazon S3 is object storage perfect for storing photos, videos, and backups where you access files b...

Block Storage

intermediate

Storage that divides data into fixed-size blocks, like a traditional hard drive. Like having a parking garage with numbered spaces - each space is the same size and has a specific address.

Example: AWS EBS provides block storage for databases and applications that need the performance of a local h...

Data Lake

advanced

Centralized repository that stores all types of raw data at any scale. Like a massive digital reservoir that holds data in its original form until you need to analyze it.

Example: Companies dump sensor data, logs, images, and documents into a data lake, then use analytics tools t...

Data Warehouse

advanced

Structured storage system optimized for analysis and reporting of organized business data. Like a well-organized library where everything is categorized and easy to search.

Example: Retail companies use data warehouses to analyze sales trends, customer behavior, and inventory data ...

Archive Storage

intermediate

Low-cost storage for data that's rarely accessed but must be kept long-term. Like a storage unit in the basement - cheap to keep things, but takes time to retrieve them.

Example: Hospitals use archive storage for old patient records that must be kept for legal reasons but are ra...