Introduction to NoSQL Databases

Introduction to NoSQL Databases

This course is part of multiple programs.

Instructors: Rav Ahuja

What you'll learn

Differentiate among the four main categories of NoSQL repositories.
Describe the characteristics, features, benefits, limitations, and applications of the more popular Big Data processing tools.
Perform common tasks using MongoDB tasks including create, read, update, and delete (CRUD) operations.
Execute keyspace, table, and CRUD operations in Cassandra.

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Assessments

15 assignments

Taught in English

See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills

Learn more about Coursera for Business

Build your subject-matter expertise

This course is available as part of

When you enroll in this course, you'll also be asked to select a specific program.

Learn new concepts from industry experts
Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
Earn a shareable career certificate

Earn a career certificate

Add this credential to your LinkedIn profile, resume, or CV

Share it on social media and in your performance review

There are 5 modules in this course

Get started with NoSQL Databases with this beginner-friendly introductory course! This course will provide technical, hands-on knowledge of NoSQL databases and Database-as-a-Service (DaaS) offerings. With the advent of Big Data and agile development methodologies, NoSQL databases have gained a lot of relevance in the database landscape. Their main advantage is the ability to handle scalability and flexibility issues modern applications raise.

You will start this course by learning the history and the basics of NoSQL databases (document, key-value, column, and graph) and discover their key characteristics and benefits. You will learn about the four categories of NoSQL databases and how they differ. You’ll also explore the differences between the ACID and BASE consistency models, the pros and cons of distributed systems, and when to use RDBMS and NoSQL. You will also learn about vector databases, an emerging class of databases popular in AI. Next, you will explore the architecture and features of several implementations of NoSQL databases, namely MongoDB, Cassandra, and IBM Cloudant. You will learn about the common tasks that they each perform and their key and defining characteristics. You will then get hands-on experience using those NoSQL databases to perform standard database management tasks, such as creating and replicating databases, loading and querying data, modifying database permissions, indexing and aggregating data, and sharding (or partitioning) data. At the end of this course, you will complete a final project where you will apply all your knowledge of the course content to a specific scenario and work with several NoSQL databases. This course suits anyone wanting to expand their Data Management and Information Technology skill set.

NoSQL means Not only SQL. The term refers to a class of databases that are non-relational in architecture. NoSQL databases have their roots in the open-source community and have become more popular due to the demands of Big Data. In this module, you will learn about the characteristics of NoSQL and the four main categories of NoSQL databases: document, key-value, column, and graph. You will explore the differences between the ACID and BASE consistency models, the advantages and challenges of distributed systems, and the CAP theorem and its characteristics. You will also learn how to decide when to use RDBMS and when to use NoSQL.

What's included

11 videos2 readings4 assignments9 plugins

11 videosTotal 54 minutes

Course Introduction3 minutesPreview module
Overview of NoSQL5 minutes
Characteristics of NoSQL Databases6 minutes
Key-Value NoSQL Databases4 minutes
Document-Based NoSQL Databases3 minutes
Column-Based NoSQL Databases6 minutes
Graph NoSQL Databases3 minutes
ACID versus BASE Operations5 minutes
Distributed Databases5 minutes
CAP Theorem4 minutes
Challenges in Migrating from RDBMS to NoSQL Databases5 minutes

2 readingsTotal 4 minutes

Summary and Highlights2 minutes
Summary and Highlights2 minutes

4 assignmentsTotal 45 minutes

Graded Quiz: Basics of NoSQL15 minutes
Graded Quiz: Working with Distributed Data12 minutes
Practice Quiz: Basics of NoSQL10 minutes
Practice Quiz: Working with Distributed Data8 minutes

9 pluginsTotal 57 minutes

Course Overview5 minutes
Helpful Tips for Course Completion5 minutes
Reading: NoSQL Database Types and Use Cases5 minutes
Reading: NoSQL Database Deployment Options3 minutes
Glossary: Basics of NoSQL4 minutes
Reading: MongoDB Design Patterns15 minutes
Reading: Data Model Example in Relational vs Document10 minutes
Reading: Vector Databases6 minutes
Glossary: Working with Distributed Data4 minutes

MongoDB is a document-oriented NoSQL database. MongoDB databases are easy to access by indexing. These databases support various data types, including dates and numbers. MongoDB is the most popular NoSQL database today, empowering users to query, manipulate, and find interesting insights from their collected data. It can also be used for various purposes because of the flexibility of storing structured or unstructured data. In this module, you will learn about the characteristics of MongoDB and expand your hands-on working knowledge of MongoDB performing various common tasks, including create, read, update, and delete (CRUD) operations, limit and sort records, indexing, and aggregation. You will explore replication and sharding, which are capabilities that support the scalability and availability seen with MongoDB.

What's included

8 videos2 readings4 assignments5 app items4 plugins

8 videosTotal 39 minutes

Overview of MongoDB4 minutesPreview module
Advantages of MongoDB4 minutes
Use Cases for MongoDB4 minutes
CRUD Operations6 minutes
Indexes3 minutes
Aggregation Framework5 minutes
Replication and Sharding5 minutes
Accessing MongoDB from Python4 minutes

2 readingsTotal 4 minutes

Summary and Highlights2 minutes
Summary and Highlights2 minutes

4 assignmentsTotal 50 minutes

Graded Quiz: Basics of MongoDB15 minutes
Graded Quiz: Getting Started with MongoDB15 minutes
Practice Quiz: Basics of MongoDB10 minutes
Practice Quiz: Getting Started with MongoDB10 minutes

5 app itemsTotal 165 minutes

Lab: Getting Started with MongoDB30 minutes
Lab: MongoDB CRUD30 minutes
Lab: MongoDB Indexing30 minutes
Lab: MongoDB Aggregation45 minutes
Lab: Accessing MongoDB using Python30 minutes

4 pluginsTotal 19 minutes

Glossary: Basics of MongoDB3 minutes
Reading: Best Practices of MongoDB10 minutes
Glossary: Getting Started with MongoDB3 minutes
MongoDB Cheat Sheet3 minutes

Apache Cassandra is an open source database that is best used by "always available" applications. These applications require a database that is always available (highly available) and that scales fast in high-traffic situations without compromising performance. Apache Cassandra is best for online services like Netflix, Uber, and Spotify. In this module, you will learn about the characteristics of Apache Cassandra. You will also expand your hands-on knowledge of how to perform common Cassandra tasks, including using the CQL shell, keyspace operations, table operations, and CRUD operations.

What's included

10 videos2 readings4 assignments4 app items4 plugins

10 videosTotal 73 minutes

Apache Cassandra Overview7 minutesPreview module
Key Features of Apache Cassandra7 minutes
Apache Cassandra Data Model: Part 15 minutes
Apache Cassandra Data Model: Part 26 minutes
Introduction to Cassandra Query Language Shell (cqlsh)8 minutes
CQL Data Types7 minutes
Apache Cassandra Keyspace Operations7 minutes
Table Operations6 minutes
CRUD Operations - Part 17 minutes
CRUD Operations - Part 27 minutes

2 readingsTotal 4 minutes

Summary and Highlights2 minutes
Summary and Highlights2 minutes

4 assignmentsTotal 40 minutes

Graded Quiz: Cassandra Basics15 minutes
Graded Quiz: Working with Cassandra15 minutes
Practice Quiz: Cassandra Basics6 minutes
Practice Quiz: Working with Cassandra4 minutes

4 app itemsTotal 60 minutes

Lab: Using the CQL Shell (cqlsh)20 minutes
Lab: Keyspace Operations15 minutes
Lab: Cassandra Table Operations10 minutes
Lab: Cassandra CRUD Operations15 minutes

4 pluginsTotal 25 minutes

Reading: Architecture of Cassandra9 minutes
Glossary: Cassandra Basics4 minutes
Reading: Cassandra Data Modeling and Querying Best Practices10 minutes
Glossary: Working with Cassandra2 minutes

This module contains the final project for this course. You will consolidate the skills you learned throughout this course by applying them to a specific scenario. To complete the project successfully, you must demonstrate that you have the skills to perform the tasks outlined. Your peers will grade this final project.

What's included

2 readings1 assignment1 peer review2 app items2 plugins

2 readingsTotal 3 minutes

Reading: Congrats & Next Steps2 minutes
Thanks from the Course Team1 minute

1 assignmentTotal 45 minutes

Final Quiz45 minutes

1 peer reviewTotal 60 minutes

Project Submission and Peer Review60 minutes

2 app itemsTotal 75 minutes

Lab: Setup and Practice Assignment30 minutes
Final Assignment Project45 minutes

2 pluginsTotal 16 minutes

Final Project Overview2 minutes
Glossary: Introduction to NoSQL14 minutes

Database-as-a-service (DBaaS) is a popular solution for hybrid multi-cloud applications. IBM Cloudant is a fully managed DBaaS built on open source Apache CouchDB. Cloudant aims to be the data layer for all your web and mobile applications. In this module, you will find out how simple developing modern web applications is with Cloudant's rich features and JSON document store.You will explore the architecture of Cloudant as a NoSQL database. You will gain hands-on experience with Cloudant capabilities and key technologies. You will also learn how to use the Cloudant dashboard to create and manage your database.