Introduction

One recent trend in the database world has been the development and use of NoSQL databases. This trend arose from a realization that relational database servers that use SQL, such as MariaDB, are not always the right tool for the job. Sometimes nonrelational, specialized, scalable, and clustered key-value databases work better for specific tasks.

Another trend is the addition of virtual columns to databases. These columns don't change how the data is accessed as dynamic columns do. What they do is change how the data in them is stored. In short, the data is derived from the values of other columns in the row, similar to a spreadsheet.

The MariaDB developers see the value in such nontraditional database features, and have implemented these and others in MariaDB to make it as flexible and as capable a database server as possible.

Both the chapters following this one delve into a couple of additional NoSQL features of MariaDB, HandlerSocket and the Cassandra storage engine, respectively...