Distributed SQL database
Definition
A distributed SQL database spreads data and queries across many nodes, often in several regions, while keeping the transactions and SQL interface of a relational database.
Why it matters when you’re buying
It suits applications that must scale writes or survive the loss of a region without giving up consistency. The trade-offs are latency between regions, operational complexity and differences from the SQL dialect your applications already use.
How it relates to other terms
It offers scale that was once the main reason to choose a NoSQL database, and multi-region designs can keep a service running with little or no data loss when one region fails, which changes what RPO and RTO you can promise.
Where to go next
- Databases: news, companies and community questions
- How to evaluate Databases vendors: criteria, questions to ask and red flags
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