Column Based Database

As the name suggests, the data stored in this is sorted according to the columns rather than the rows (columnar database). It has many advantages especially for library catalogues and database warehousing. Using a column based database helps when you want to compute an aggregate over many rows but for smaller sub-set of columns. This is so because instead of reading the entire data, all you need to do is just read the smaller sub-set. This saves time and useless efforts also.

Columnar based database versus data in rows

Again, when you want to introduce new values into one column, but for all of the rows in that database, column based database is much more helpful. This can be done by replacing the old data pertaining to that column only and thereby leaving the other columns untouched. The main advantage of this database is that it can overcome the stereo-type difficulties which one faces in a normal RDBMS system. To explain this further, since this method involves storing, querying and managing data based on columns than by rows, it can overcome certain glitches which arise generally. This also helps with respect to input/output activities and query time involved. This mode is ideal for database warehousing as it can interrogate and get quick query results working on a moderate to a large sized database, and that too, in much lesser a time.

Not only does www.activedata.co.uk contain information on our column based database, but on analytic database as well as others.