Real-life relationships and data are usually heavily interconnected and extremely complex. A lot of valuable information cannot be restricted to simple tables and documents. This is where graph databases come in handy.
A graph database (GDB) is a NoSQL database that uses graph structures to store data. It uses nodes, edges, and properties instead of rows, columns, tables, and documents like traditional databases. The edges represent relationships between nodes (can be entities). Graph databases are crucial for applications where relationships between data elements are more important.
Use Cases and Applications
Graph databases shine the brightest in scenarios where understanding the complexity of relationships is placed at the forefront.
The first such scenario that should come to mind is social networks. Social network platforms rely heavily on the capabilities that GDBs offer. An example would be using a GDB to discover hidden patterns within friend circles, interests, and interactions, and utilizing them to provide users with a more personalized experience.
GDBs are also used in the e-commerce realm to provide personalized recommendations by analyzing past purchases and shared preferences.
Additionally, search engines are also fueled by knowledge graphs and so are fraud detection systems which utilize connections to spot anomalous behaviour.
Bitnine Global Inc's Graph Database Software
Bitnine is a company that specializes in fully integrated graph databases.
Apache AGE is an open-source GDB offered by Bitnine. Its key features are:
- Is a GDB plugin for PostgreSQL
- Allows hybrid queries (OpenCypher and SQL)
- Fast Graph query processing, and
- Graph visualization and analytics
AgensGraph is their closed-source GDB option. Its key features are:
- Hybrid query processing (Cypher and SQL)
- Enhanced security
- Data sharding
- Native graph storage
Apache AGE vs AgensGraph
The main difference between the two is that AGE is an openCypher plugin for PostgreSQL whereas AgensGraph is a complete graph database built upon PostgreSQL.
By being a fork of PostgreSQL, AgensGraph is tied to a specific version of PostgreSQL. However, AGE is an extension and is not tied to any specific version of PostgreSQL.
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