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What is data → Data is a representation of some aspect of the real world. We can classify data as structured or unstructured or semi-structured based on how it is organized.
Customers mostly select structured or un structured or semi structured not based on their data, but on the applications usecases that utilize that data.
Structured data → Data is represented as rows and columns(also called as relational data) . Data adheres to a predefined data model and if incoming data fails to meet those definitions, it fails to persist.
E.g Spread sheets, CSV, traditional databases like oracle, mysql,postgress e.t.c
Unstructured data → Data that cannot be contained in a row-column structure and doesn’t have an associated data model or schema can be classified as unstrcutred data. As the scope for storage increases, and as data becomes more complex and dynamic, so too does the difficulty with which you can search and analyze that information.
One can argue that, we can store images,vedios e.t.c in relational databases as well support in form of BLOB (Binary Large Object) and they are spot on…we can store and retrieve blobs in relational databases, but cannot query it well.
We need special databases like NO-SQL databases(like mangodb, hadoop, cassandra) to store and analyze unstructured data.
BUT Paradoxically even to analyze unstrcutred data NO SQL databases it need to contain some…