What we talk about when we talk about NewSQL

Yesterday The 451 Group published a report asking “How will the database incumbents respond to NoSQL and NewSQL?”

That prompted the pertinent question, “What do you mean by ‘NewSQL’?”

Since we are about to publish a report describing our view of the emerging database landscape, including NoSQL, NewSQL and beyond (now available), it probably is a good time to define what we mean by NewSQL (I haven’t mentioned the various NoSQL projects in this post, but they are covered extensively in the report. More on them another day).

“NewSQL” is our shorthand for the various new scalable/high performance SQL database vendors. We have previously referred to these products as ‘ScalableSQL’ to differentiate them from the incumbent relational database products. Since this implies horizontal scalability, which is not necessarily a feature of all the products, we adopted the term ‘NewSQL’ in the new report.

And to clarify, like NoSQL, NewSQL is not to be taken too literally: the new thing about the NewSQL vendors is the vendor, not the SQL.

So who would be consider to be the NewSQL vendors? Like NoSQL, NewSQL is used to describe a loosely-affiliated group of companies (ScaleBase has done a good job of identifying, some of the several NewSQL sub-types) but what they have in common is the development of new relational database products and services designed to bring the benefits of the relational model to distributed architectures, or to improve the performance of relational databases to the extent that horizontal scalability is no longer a necessity.

In the first group we would include (in no particular order) Clustrix, GenieDB, ScalArc, Schooner, VoltDB, RethinkDB, ScaleDB, Akiban, CodeFutures, ScaleBase, Translattice, and NimbusDB, as well as Drizzle, MySQL Cluster with NDB, and MySQL with HandlerSocket. The latter group includes Tokutek and JustOne DB. The associated “NewSQL-as-a-service” category includes Amazon Relational Database Service, Microsoft SQL Azure, Xeround, Database.com and FathomDB.

(Links provide access to 451 Group coverage for clients. Non-clients can also apply for trial access).

Clearly there is the potential for overlap with NoSQL. It remains to be seen whether RethinkDB will be delivered as a NoSQL key value store for memcached or a “NewSQL” storage engine for MySQL, for example. While at least one of the vendors listed above is planning to enable the use of its database as a schema-less store, we also expect to see support for SQL queries added to some NoSQL databases. We are also sure that Citrusleaf won’t be the last NoSQL vendor to claim support for ACID transactions.

NewSQL is not about attempting to re-define the database market using our own term, but it is useful to broadly categorize the various emerging database products at this particular point in time.

Another clarification: ReadWriteWeb has picked up on this post and reported on the “NewSQL Movement”. I don’t think there is a movement in that sense that we saw the various NoSQL projects/vendors come together under the NoSQL umbrella with a common purpose. Perhaps the NewSQL players will do so (VoltDB and NimbusDB have reacted positively to the term, and Tokutek has become the first that I am aware of to explicitly describe its technology as NewSQL). As Derek Stainer notes, however: ” In the end it’s just a name, a way to categorize a group of similar solutions.”

In the meantime, we have already noted the beginning for the end of NoSQL, and the lines are blurring to the point where we expect the terms NoSQL and NewSQL will become irrelevant as the focus turns to specific use cases.

The identification of specific adoption drivers and use cases is the focus of our forthcoming long-form report on NoSQL, NewSQL and beyond, from which the 451 Group reported cited above is excerpted.

The report contains an overview of the roots of NoSQL and profiles of the major NoSQL projects and vendors, as well as analysis of the drivers behind the development and adoption of NoSQL and NewSQL databases, the evolving role of data grid technologies, and associated use cases.

It will be available very soon from the Information Management and CAOS practices and we will also publish more details of the key drivers as we see them and our view of the current database landscape here.

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48 comments ↓

#1 The NewSQL Movement : Casa Semplice on 04.06.11 at 7:13 pm

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#2 The NewSQL Movement | JetLib News on 04.06.11 at 7:13 pm

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#3 The NewSQL Movement | Tech News Ninja on 04.06.11 at 7:14 pm

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#4 Web Realities - The NewSQL Movement on 04.06.11 at 7:15 pm

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#5 The NewSQL Movement - ReadWriteCloud on 04.06.11 at 7:22 pm

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#6 newsql运动 on 04.07.11 at 10:38 am

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#7 Definition “NewSQL” term | Data story on 04.09.11 at 2:00 am

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#8 NoSQL, NewSQL and Beyond | ITPark on 05.05.11 at 4:21 am

[…] the growing set of options in the information management space. In the process they also clarified what they meant by “NewSQL”. “NewSQL” is our shorthand for the various new scalable/high performance SQL database vendors. […]

#9 NewSQL: Escalabilidad relacional | jmchia.com on 05.08.11 at 7:40 pm

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#10 NewSQL and NimbusDB | nimbusdb on 05.20.11 at 6:10 pm

[…] Aslett, a senior analyst at the 451 Group research firm, just over a month ago single-handedly launched a new database category by coining a great name for it,NewSQL.  This is a nice play on the NoSQL […]

#11 NewSQL and NimbusDB | NimbusDB on 05.21.11 at 2:18 pm

[…] Aslett, a senior analyst at the 451 Group research firm, just over a month ago single-handedly launched a new database category by coining a great name for it,NewSQL.  This is a nice play on the NoSQL […]

#12 Choosing a cloud data store for Big Data | Datacentre Management . org on 06.16.11 at 3:40 am

[…] demeanour during NewSQL databases Analyst organisation The 451 Group recently coined the tenure NewSQL and described it as “shorthand for a several new scalable/high performance SQL database […]

#13 The NewSQL Movement - Liuxinglanyue (ps:流星揽月) on 06.20.11 at 10:33 pm

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#14 NimbusDb ou la reconciliation entre SQL et NoSQL | InZeCloud.Fr on 07.07.11 at 2:30 am

[…] Ni tout à fait SQL, ni tout a fait NoSQL, cette solution appartient à une nouvelle famille appelée ‘NewSQL‘. […]

#15 Facebook trapped in MySQL ‘fate worse than death’ — Cloud Computing News on 07.07.11 at 3:56 pm

[…] for the shortcoming of both “old SQL” and NoSQL. It’s called NewSQL (a term coined by 451 Group analyst Matthew Aslett) or scalable SQL, as I’ve referred to it in the past. Pushed by companies such as Xeround, […]

#16 Facebook trapped in MySQL ‘fate worse than death’ | TechDiem.com on 07.07.11 at 5:16 pm

[…] — has an answer for the shortcoming of both “old SQL” and NoSQL. It’s called NewSQL (a term coined by 451 Group analyst Matthew Aslett) or scalable SQL, as I’ve referred to it in the past. Pushed by companies such as Xeround, […]

#17 Facebook trapped in MySQL ‘fate worse than death’ « TechCrusher on 07.07.11 at 5:29 pm

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#18 Database Pioneer Michael Stonebraker Claims the Answer To Facebook’s MySQL Woes. « IT Training Times on 07.08.11 at 9:21 am

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#19 Facebook trapped in MySQL ‘fate worse than death’ « Boyko Nikolov on 07.08.11 at 11:00 am

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#20 Reggae.com » Facebook trapped in MySQL ‘fate worse than death’ on 07.08.11 at 4:03 pm

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#21 NewSQL is coming : Max Ivak Personal Site on 07.13.11 at 8:41 pm

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#22 Problems of RDBMS « TechLedger on 07.15.11 at 1:51 am

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#23 NewSQL Ecosystem « TechLedger on 07.15.11 at 2:04 am

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#24 Is NoSQL a Premature Optimization that’s Worse than Death? Or the Lady Gaga of the Database World? | Krantenkoppen Tech on 07.25.11 at 1:46 pm

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#25 Windows Azure and Cloud Computing Posts for 7/25/2011+ - Windows Azure Blog on 07.25.11 at 5:08 pm

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#26 Is NoSQL A Premature Optimization That’s Worse Than Death? Or The Lady Gaga Of The Database World? | TouchHappy on 07.25.11 at 10:45 pm

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#27 NewSQL Can Save the World « Voice of the DBA on 07.26.11 at 2:29 pm

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#28 | Blog | Is NoSQL a Premature Optimization that's Worse than Death? Or the Lady Gaga of the Database World? on 07.31.11 at 1:25 pm

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#29 NewSQL and NuoDB (fka NimbusDB) | NuoDB on 08.09.11 at 4:58 pm

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#30 From Big Data to NoSQL: The ReadWriteWeb Guide to Data Terminology (Part 3) on 08.12.11 at 3:30 pm

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#31 VoltDB releases Their New Version Targeting Better Performance And Durability on 09.19.11 at 2:49 pm

[…] came into my radar was due to their open source roots. In the age of jargons, VoltDB falls under NewSQL category of databases. In this age go high volume data, a database like VoltDB is absolutely […]

#32 Quora on 10.04.11 at 11:59 pm

Is NewSQL systems work as advertised then why should anyone use a NoSQL DB?…

Definitions While your statement about the state of things isn’t completely wrong, I don’t think it really captures the primary MySQL/NoSQL distinction. Your description takes more of a pro-NoSQL focus than I think reality warrants. I would put it th…

#33 Blog Post: Business Intelligence: The Big Picture | AspenIT.co.uk | Computing & Technology News on 01.05.12 at 7:37 pm

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#37 Any Data – Big Insights | Laptop Landing on 02.01.12 at 4:04 pm

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#38 maccad » Cloud proves that OldSQL is still cool on 02.07.12 at 1:12 pm

[…] any time soon. The 451 Group’s Matt Aslett doesn’t think so, either, and has christened NewSQL as a nice compromise position between the old world and the new. As Aslett posits, NewSQL is […]

#39 NewSQL pioneer Clustrix delivers free software-only kit to demo shard-less MySQL scaling, unveils a poster child use at Twoo | BriefingsDirect on 02.08.12 at 4:23 pm

[…] users to scale their databases without having to resort to complex manual sharding,” said Matt Aslett, research manager, data management and analytics at 451 Research, in a release. […]

#40 NewSQL pioneer Clustrix delivers free software-only kit to demo shard-less MySQL scaling, unveils a poster child use … | kevs-productreviews.com on 02.08.12 at 8:31 pm

[…] enable users to scale their databases without having to resort to complex manual sharding,” said Matt Aslett, research manager, data management and analytics at 451 Research, in a release. “Clustrix’s […]

#41 Pioneering Solutions - NewSQL pioneer Clustrix delivers free software-only kit to demo shard-less MySQL scaling, unveils a poster child use at Twoo on 02.09.12 at 12:10 am

[…] enable users to scale their databases without having to resort to complex manual sharding,” said Matt Aslett, research manager, data management and analytics at 451 Research, in a release. “Clustrix’s […]

#42 NewSQL pioneer Clustrix delivers free software-only kit to demo shard-less MySQL scaling, unveils a poster child use at Twoo | Outsource Portfolio on 02.12.12 at 5:23 pm

[…] users to scale their databases without having to resort to complex manual sharding,” said Matt Aslett, research manager, data management and analytics at 451 Research, in a release. […]

#43 NewSQL pioneer Clustrix delivers free software-only kit to demo shard-less MySQL scaling | kevs-productreviews.com on 02.13.12 at 11:02 am

[…] users to scale their databases without having to resort to complex manual sharding,” said Matt Aslett, research manager, data management and analytics at 451 Research, in a release. […]

#44 NewSQL pioneer Clustrix delivers free software-only kit to demo shard-less MySQL scaling, unveils a poster child use at Twoo | kevs-productreviews.com on 02.14.12 at 5:08 am

[…] enable users to scale their databases without having to resort to complex manual sharding,” said Matt Aslett, research manager, data management and analytics at 451 Research, in a release. “Clustrix’s […]

#45 The Economics of NoSQL versus “New SQL” versus RDBMSs | Sure Product Consulting on 03.21.12 at 1:28 pm

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#46 MySQL, NoSQL, We All Scream for NewSQL | Merge on 05.08.12 at 9:34 am

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#47 DBMS Directions | Keep an Open Eye Eye, Sir on 05.17.12 at 9:50 am

[…] of new database development that refines the classic Relational database models. Think NoSQL and NewSQL. Here is a paper by Daniel Abadi who is responsible for some of the better NoSQL implementations […]

#48 Jared Armstrong on 05.02.13 at 7:53 pm

I am happy to see the hype dissipate between noSQL and newSQL. Most people just want more performance for their use case. So as long as we keep seeing websites powered by both I think that is being achieved.