A database is a collection of data that is stored in an organized manner and can be shared by a number of users. A database provides minimal redundancy and is independent of applications. A database can be regarded as an electronic filing cabinet on which you can perform operations such as adding, querying, updating, and deleting data.
Common databases
The following types of databases are typically used:
Oracle
Oracle provides a high degree of hardware scalability. It can run on a variety of hardware and operating system platforms, from desktop computers to mainframes and supercomputers. Oracle supports symmetric multiprocessors, cluster multiprocessors, and large-scale processors, and works with multiple languages.
Oracle is a multi-user system that can automatically recover from system failures in batch processing or online environments. Developer/2000 is a software development tool developed by Oracle that consists of an interactive application generator, report printer, word processor, and a centralized data dictionary. You can use these components to generate your own applications.
Oracle presents data in two-dimensional tables and provides Structured Query Language (SQL) to implement basic database management features such as data query, modification, definition, and control.
Data in Oracle databases can be smoothly migrated. The communication feature provided by Oracle allows programs on microcomputers to receive data from or transfer data to Oracle databases on minicomputers and mainframes.
Oracle is a large-scale database system. It is suitable for small, medium-sized, and large application systems. It can be used both as a standalone database system or as part of a client-server architecture.
SQL Server
SQL Server is a relational database system provided by Microsoft. It is a scalable, high-performance database management system suitable for distributed clients and server computing. SQL Server works with Windows New Technology (Windows NT) to provide a transaction-based enterprise-level information management solution. Versions earlier than SQL Server 2016 can run only on Windows.
MySQL
MySQL is an open-source relational database management system (RDBMS) that allows users to manage relational databases by using SQL. MySQL databases can be used across platforms such as Linux and Windows.
Data deployment
You can use ApsaraDB RDS to quickly deploy and manage databases with minimal effort. If you do not have an appropriate image or if you want to customize your deployment, we recommend that you manually deploy a database.
Database backup
For cloud databases, you can use the built-in backup feature provided by each database service or use a separate backup service called Database Backup (DBS) to back up the databases.
For databases deployed manually or by using an Alibaba Cloud Marketplace image, you can use DBS or Cloud Backup to back up the databases.
For more information, see the following topics: