A NoSQL database stores data without requiring every record to follow one fixed schema. Azure Cosmos DB uses this flexibility to support key-value, document, and graph models while scaling across global networks. That makes it a practical fit for a fast-changing product catalog and worldwide customer traffic. section 11.0 section 11.3.1
Working with NoSQL databases involves balancing flexibility with deliberate design:
- Allow records to vary: one product document can include ratings or multiple images while another omits them. section 11.3.1
- Handle variation in application logic, because evolving structures can otherwise weaken consistency and integrity. section 11.3.1
- Denormalize related data when faster reads and scalable retrieval matter more than minimizing duplication or joins. section 11.3.1
- Model and partition data thoughtfully, since those choices affect performance, scalability, and cost. section 11.3
A product document
An Alpaca-Ma-Bags product can keep its material, sizes, colors, supplier details, and availability together in one document. Embedding supplier information lets a complete product entity be retrieved without an expensive join. section 11.3.1
