Explore the role of SQL in the relational database by showing how it works

The language used for database queries for many years has been SQL. SQL, which is based on
relational algebra, offers an internally consistent mathematical language that makes it simpler to
enhance the performance of every database query. Other systems, in contrast, need to define
specific queries.
Data points that are associated with one another can be saved and accessible in a relational
database, which is a form of database. The relational model, an easy-to-understand method of
representing data in tables, is the foundation of relational databases. Each table row in a
relational database is a record with a distinct ID known as the key. It is simple to determine the
associations between data points because the table's columns carry the properties of the data and
each record typically has a value for each property.
SQL is a back-end programming language that is specifically made to interact with relational
database management systems (RDBMS). It is pronounced S-Q-L or sequel. Database
communication is done through a language called SQL, or Structured Query Language. For
instance, SQL couldn't be utilized to create a mobile or online application.

Every application used a different structure to store data in the early days of databases.
Developers have to be very knowledgeable about the specific data structure in order to find the
data they required while creating apps to utilize that data. These data structures weren't effective,
were challenging to keep up with, and were challenging to tune for excellent application
performance. Multiple random data structures were a challenge that the relational database
model was created to address. The relational data model provided a standard way of representing
and querying data that could be used by any application. From the beginning, developers
recognized that the chief strength of the relational database model was in its use of tables, which
were an intuitive, efficient, and flexible way to store and access structured information.

Over time, another strength of the relational model emerged as developers began to use
structured query language (SQL) to write and query data in a database. For many years, SQL has
been widely used as the language for database queries. Based on relational algebra, SQL
provides an internally consistent mathematical language that makes it easier to improve the
performance of all database queries. In comparison, other approaches must define individual
queries.

Benefits of relational database management system

The simple yet powerful relational model is used by organizations of all types and sizes for a
broad variety of information needs. Relational databases are used to track inventories, process
ecommerce transactions, manage huge amounts of mission-critical customer information, and
much more. A relational database can be considered for any information need in which data
points relate to each other and must be managed in a secure, rules-based, consistent way.

Relational databases have been around since the 1970s. Today, the advantages of the relational
model continue to make it the most widely accepted model for databases.

Relational model and data consistency

The relational model is the best at maintaining data consistency across applications and database
copies (called instances). For example, when a customer deposits money at an ATM and then
looks at the account balance on a mobile phone, the customer expects to see that deposit
reflected immediately in an updated account balance. Relational databases excel at this kind of
data consistency, ensuring that multiple instances of a database have the same data all the time.

It’s difficult for other types of databases to maintain this level of timely consistency with large
amounts of data. Some recent databases, such as NoSQL, can supply only “eventual
consistency.” Under this principle, when the database is scaled or when multiple users access the
same data at the same time, the data needs some time to “catch up.” Eventual consistency is
acceptable for some uses, such as to maintain listings in a product catalog, but for critical
business operations such as shopping cart transactions, the relational database is still the gold
standard.

Commitment and atomicity

Relational databases handle business rules and policies at a very granular level, with strict
policies about commitment (that is, making a change to the database permanent). For example,
consider an inventory database that tracks three parts that are always used together. When one
part is pulled from inventory, the other two must also be pulled. If one of the three parts isn’t
available, none of the parts should be pulled—all three parts must be available before the
database makes any commitment. A relational database won’t commit for one part until it knows
it can commit for all three. This multifaceted commitment capability is called atomicity.
Atomicity is the key to keeping data accurate in the database and ensuring that it is compliant
with the rules, regulations, and policies of the business.

ACID properties and RDBMS

Four crucial properties define relational database transactions: atomicity, consistency, isolation,
and durability—typically referred to as ACID.

 Atomicity defines all the elements that make up a complete database transaction.
 Consistency defines the rules for maintaining data points in a correct state after a
transaction.
 Isolation keeps the effect of a transaction invisible to others until it is committed, to
avoid confusion.
 Durability ensures that data changes become permanent once the transaction is
committed.
Stored procedures and relational databases

Data access involves many repetitive actions. For example, a simple query to get information
from a data table may need to be repeated hundreds or thousands of times to produce the desired
result. These data access functions require some type of code to access the database. Application
developers don’t want to write new code for these functions in each new application. Luckily,
relational databases allow stored procedures, which are blocks of code that can be accessed with
a simple application call. For example, a single stored procedure can provide consistent record
tagging for users of multiple applications. Stored procedures can also help developers ensure that
certain data functions in the application are implemented in a specific way.

Database locking and concurrency

Conflicts can arise in a database when multiple users or applications attempt to change the same
data at the same time. Locking and concurrency techniques reduce the potential for conflicts
while maintaining the integrity of the data.

Locking prevents other users and applications from accessing data while it is being updated. In
some databases, locking applies to the entire table, which creates a negative impact on
application performance. Other databases, such as Oracle relational databases, apply locks at the
record level, leaving the other records within the table available, helping ensure better
application performance.

Concurrency manages the activity when multiple users or applications invoke queries at the same
time on the same database. This capability provides the right access to users and applications
according to policies defined for data control.

What to look for when selecting a relational database

The software used to store, manage, query, and retrieve data stored in a relational database is
called a relational database management system (RDBMS). The RDBMS provides an interface
between users and applications and the database, as well as administrative functions for
managing data storage, access, and performance.

Several factors can guide your decision when choosing among database types and relational
database products. The RDBMS you choose will depend on your business needs. Ask yourself
the following questions:

 What are our data accuracy requirements? Will data storage and accuracy rely on
business logic? Does our data have stringent requirements for accuracy (for example,
financial data and government reports)?
 Do we need scalability? What is the scale of the data to be managed, and what is its
anticipated growth? Will the database model need to support mirrored database copies
(as separate instances) for scalability? If so, can it maintain data consistency across
those instances?
  How important is concurrency? Will multiple users and applications need
simultaneous data access? Does the database software support concurrency while
protecting the data?
 What are our performance and reliability needs? Do we need a high-performance,
high-reliability product? What are the requirements for query-response performance?
What are the vendor’s commitments for service level agreements (SLAs) or unplanned
downtime?

The relational database of the future: The self-driving database

Over the years, relational databases have gotten better, faster, stronger, and easier to work with.
But they’ve also gotten more complex, and administering the database has long been a full-time
job. Instead of using their expertise to focus on developing innovative applications that bring
value to the business, developers have had to spend most of their time on the management
activity needed to optimize database performance.

Today, autonomous technology is building upon the strengths of the relational model, cloud
database technology, and machine learning to deliver a new type of relational database. The self-
driving database (also known as the autonomous database) maintains the power and advantages
of the relational model but uses artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and automation to
monitor and improve query performance and management tasks. For example, to improve query
performance, the self-driving database can hypothesize and test indexes to make queries faster,
and then push the best ones into production—all on its own. The self-driving database makes
these improvements continuously, without the need for human involvement.
Autonomous technology frees up developers from the mundane tasks of managing the database.
For instance, they no longer have to determine infrastructure requirements in advance. Instead,
with a self-driving database, they can add storage and compute resources as needed to support
database growth. With just a few steps, developers can easily create an autonomous relational
database, accelerating the time for application development.