Data store

A data store is a repository for persistently storing and managing collections of data which include not just repositories like databases, but also simpler store types such as simple files, emails etc.^[1]

A database is a series of bytes that is managed by a database management system (DBMS). A file is a series of bytes that is managed by a file system. Thus, any database or file is a series of bytes that, once stored, is called a data store.

MATLAB^[2] and Cloud Storage systems like VMware,^[3] Firefox OS^[4] use datastore as a term for abstracting collections of data inside their respective applications.

Types

Data store can refer to a broad class of storage systems including:

• Paper files
• Simple files like a spreadsheet
• File systems
• Email storage systems (both server and client systems)
• Databases
  • Relational databases are the most common type of database in the 2000s. Examples include MySQL, PostgreSQL, Microsoft SQL Server, and Oracle Database.^[5]
  • Object-oriented databases, like Caché or ConceptBase. They can save objects of an object-oriented design.
  • Key-value databases, like redis.
• Distributed data stores, like Apache Cassandra, Druid (open-source data store) or Dynamo
• Directory services
• VMware uses "datastore" to refer to a file that stores a virtual machine^[6]

References

See also

• Data flow diagram
• Data architecture
• Database
• Distributed data store