I recently spoke on an interesting panel at Red Hat Summit entitled "Big Data and Traditional Databases," along with representatives from the MySQL, PostgreSQL and Sybase/SAP communities. At one point, the moderator asked, "What features are your adding to your roadmap to make your database ready for Big Data."
I was stumped. Unlike the relational databases, MongoDB was born as a Big Data database.
This isn't a secret. Whether measured by how IT professionals talk about MongoDB on Twitter, Big Data-related job postings or other means, MongoDB is always rated one of the industry's top-two Big Data technologies.
Which isn't to suggest that 10gen and the MongoDB community are sitting still. We've been adding Big Data-relevant functionality like full-text indexing and continue to improve the already great performance, among other things. But the essential ability to handle a wide variety of data types and sources, in real time, at significant scale? That comes ready out of the box.
10gen has never intended for MongoDB to be solely a "Big Data database." That would be too narrow. MongoDB is a general-purpose database designed for and comfortable managing a broad and growing array of applications. Some will argue that all applications will be Big Data applications going forward. Perhaps. Regardless, MongoDB has it covered.
