Cloud database

WHAT IS A CLOUD DATABASE ?
The Suitability of Algebraix Data’s Technology to Cloud Computing

Robin Bloor, Ph D

WHITE PAPER

© Copyright 2011, The Bloor Group All rights reserved. Neither this publication nor any part of it may be reproduced or transmitted or stored in any form or by any means, without either the prior written permission of the copyright holder or the issue of a license by the copyright holder. The Bloor Group is the sole copyright holder of this publication.
❏ 22214 Oban Drive ❏ Spicewood TX 78669 ❏Tel: [phone] ❏

Email contact: [e-mail] www.TheVirtualCircle.com www.BloorGroup.com

WHITE PAPER

WHAT IS A CLOUD DATABASE?

Executive Summary
This white paper was commissioned by Algebraix Data. The goal of the paper is to provide a definition of what a cloud database is, and in the light of that definition, examine the suitability of Algebraix Data’s technology to fulfill the role of a cloud database. Here is a brief summary of the contents of this paper: • We define a cloud dbms (CDBMS) to be a distributed database that can deliver a query service across multiple distributed database nodes located in multiple data centers, including cloud data centers. Querying distributed data sources is precisely the problem that businesses will encounter as cloud computing grows in popularity. Such a database also needs to deliver high availability and cater for disaster recovery. In our view, a CDBMS only needs to provide a query service. SOA already delivers connectivity and integration for transactional systems, so we see no need for a CDBMS to cater for transactional traffic - only query traffic. A CDBMS needs to scale across large computer grids, but it also needs to be able to span multiple data centers and, as far as is possible, cater for slow network connections. We review traditional databases, focusing primarily on relational databases and column store databases, concluding that such databases, as currently engineered,