NewSQL databases overview in DBMS Theory - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What is a NewSQL database?

A NewSQL database is a modern type of database that combines the scalability of NoSQL systems with the strong consistency and ACID properties of traditional SQL databases.

beginner

Name two key features that distinguish NewSQL databases from traditional SQL databases.

1. High scalability to handle large workloads.<br>2. Maintaining ACID compliance for reliable transactions.

intermediate

Why were NewSQL databases developed?

They were developed to address the limitations of traditional SQL databases in scaling horizontally while keeping strong consistency, especially for modern web and cloud applications.

beginner

Give an example of a popular NewSQL database.

Examples include Google Spanner, CockroachDB, and VoltDB, which offer distributed architecture with SQL support.

intermediate

How do NewSQL databases differ from NoSQL databases?

NewSQL databases provide SQL support and ACID transactions like traditional databases, while NoSQL databases often sacrifice consistency for scalability and flexibility.

What does ACID stand for in database systems?

A Atomicity, Concurrency, Isolation, Distribution

B Accuracy, Consistency, Integrity, Durability

C Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, Durability

D Availability, Consistency, Isolation, Durability

ACID stands for Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, and Durability, which are key properties for reliable database transactions.

Which feature is a main advantage of NewSQL over traditional SQL databases?

A Lack of transaction support

B Better horizontal scalability

C No support for SQL queries

D Only works on single servers

NewSQL databases are designed to scale horizontally across many servers while maintaining SQL and ACID properties.

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of NewSQL databases?

A Sacrificing consistency for availability

B Use of SQL language

C Designed for modern cloud applications

D Support for distributed transactions

NewSQL databases maintain strong consistency and do not sacrifice it for availability, unlike some NoSQL systems.

Google Spanner is an example of a:

A NewSQL database

B NoSQL database

C Traditional SQL database

D File storage system

Google Spanner is a NewSQL database that supports distributed transactions with strong consistency.

What problem do NewSQL databases mainly solve?

A Lack of SQL support in databases

B Storing unstructured data only

C Replacing all NoSQL databases

D Scaling SQL databases without losing consistency

NewSQL databases focus on scaling SQL databases horizontally while keeping ACID properties intact.

Explain what NewSQL databases are and why they are important in modern data management.

Think about how traditional databases and NoSQL databases differ and what NewSQL tries to achieve.

Describe the main differences between NewSQL and NoSQL databases.

Focus on language support, transaction reliability, and how data is managed.