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.

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.

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.

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.

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.