CouchDB as a Database Solution – Part 3

It may be the case that you missed the other parts of this series where we discussed some of the feedback we’ve received from our developers on the top benefits of using CouchDB as a database solution.

If that’s the case, we encourage you to take a minute to venture back. In part one we discussed sync and replication. Part two followed with a discussion of CouchDB’s built-in web interface and its versatile secondary indexing capabilities.

In addition to the aforementioned features, our interviews uncovered other favored CouchDB features such as its application data model consistency, its support for clustering, and its schema flexibility.

Paul Davis spoke to application data model consistency saying that most people think of this as replication but one of the things that he’s always liked about CouchDB is how an application can reuse the same data model regardless of programming language or deployment environment. He also added that no schema was a top benefit. He shared that the relational model is great for relational data, but not all structured data fits that model.

Developer Garren Smith mentioned that he liked the fact that CouchDB is a proven technology, and a database you can trust. He also spoke to the benefit of version 2’s support for clustering, stating that it is a lot more fault-tolerant.

In speaking of fault tolerance, Nick Vatamaniuc stated that CouchDB’s simple and robust design is resilient in the face of crashes and power failures. Data is always appended to the end of database files and never directly re-written. Nick shared that because it is written in Erlang, if some parts of the database crash they automatically restart, while the rest of the database core stays up and serves client requests.

To swing things back to Paul, his third top benefit was the declaration that Erlang is a wonderful language for operations, stating that the ability to open up a shell on a node that’s misbehaving to diagnose bugs and misbehaviors is invaluable.

Another thing that’s invaluable is the contributions made by the CouchDB developers.

We look forward to sharing more of what we’ve learned through our interviews and will continue sharing their insights with the CouchDB readers. Next up, we will discuss some developer advice to those new to the platform as well as some specifics on the future of CouchDB. Stay tuned!

 

Stick around to hear more details from our developer interviews and feel free to let us know if there’s something in particular that you’d like to see covered on the CouchDB blog, we would love to accommodate. Email us!

For more about CouchDB visit couchdb.apache.org or follow us on Twitter at @couchdb. 

It’s Friday, so Just Relax™

“Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are.”

— Chinese Proverb

You are not a robot. You can’t keep cranking out the same high quality content day in and day out with no breaks. Despite what the futurists might say, the need for basics—food, sleep, R&R—is not going away anytime soon. You aren’t going to beat the bots in a battle of endurance, so you might as well do yourself a favor and take a load off. Embracing your fleshy frailties has its perks: greater happiness, longer life, sustained productivity, you name it. Quit trying to be something you’re not. Rest, recharge, and recommit instead.

Time to relax

  • “Narwhals are not cool under pressure. When stressed, they use up almost all of their energy in an instant by essentially stopping their hearts while thrashing as hard as they can to swim away.” – Think you’re bad at handling stress? Narwhals are worse
  • “According to research, being good to yourself by adding some hygge to your life can make you happier. If you are constantly feeling on the verge of burnout, struggling with work demands and family demands, and you find you are rarely at your home to enjoy it, you might need to add some hygge to your life.” – Add some hygge to your life and be happier
  • “Are you having a tough day? Do you need a break from work? Well, we have a good solution. Last week, the Oregon Zoo published a minute-long video of Lily the 5-year-old Asian elephant taking a relaxing dip in their wading pool.” – Soothe Your Anxiety By Watching This Little Elephant Bob For Apples
  • “Having a 9-9 job, or in a layman’s term, ‘adulting’, does not only contribute to physical stress but also involves extreme emotional and mental exhaustion. Migraines, insomnia or an upset stomach come in naturally when you are unable to give your mind enough down-time.” – 5 Fun & Relaxing Hobbies To Try If You Have A 9 To 9 Job
  • “Balancing holiday events and work obligations was ranked as the most stressful part of the holiday season, according to the Accountemps survey. Instead of feeling the frenzy, try these seven ways to cope.” – Seven Ways to Diffuse Holiday Stress

Enjoy your weekend 🙂