SQL Server
Relational database technologies like SQL Server are the foundation of many business applications, so it should be no surprise that Elastic Mint has a wealth of experience to draw on.
Having designed and built many relational databases from scratch we can help you structure your data so it supports your business domain and the functionality you need.
Combined with our extensive knowledge of .Net technologies we can also help you make the right choices regarding how to access that data in your application. We can guide you through the choices and tradeoffs when it comes to choosing between a powerful ORM such as Entity Framework, a simpler ORM like Dapper, or directly using ADO .Net.
MongoDB
Relational technologies like SQL Server store data in the most efficient manner avoiding duplication of data if possible. The tradeoff with efficient data storage is that it is not optimised for fast reads, which can lead to slow, unresponsive applications.
MongoDB is a powerful general purpose document database which stores data as JSON. It can solve the problem of slow, unresponsive applications by optimising data storage for fast reads.
Elasticsearch
If you have large amounts of data that you wish to gain insights from, you may have considered Elasticsearch.
On the surface Elasticsearch is a very similar tool to MongoDB. In both tools data is stored as JSON documents. The difference is that it is a distributed full-text search and analytics engine backed by Lucence, meaning it is an excellent solution if you need to perform complex searches on the data within documents.
Choosing the right technology
Looking at all the different options for data storage and retrieval can be quite overwhelming. Elastic Mint’s experience with different database technologies means we understand the different tradeoffs. We can help you make the right choices for your application. Having made those choices we can then implement them and set up the patterns in your codebase so that they are used well and appropriately.
A common solution is a combination of technologies. With its focus on efficient storage SQL Server is often a good choice for the “source of truth” within an environment. Data can then be copied to MongoDB in order to support an application where performance is critical when it comes to displaying data. That data may be stored multiple times, each time optimised to support a particular area of functionality which needs to be able to access and display it quickly. Elasticsearch can then be added on top if there is a specific need to perform complex searches.
Whatever your business need you can rest assured that Elastic Mint would work closely with you to understand your requirements and then design the right solution.
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