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Figure 3: Example of an SQL Query

SELECT * FROM Members WHERE Age > 30

In this example, all entries from a table called “Members” are selected in which their age, denoted
by entries in the “Age” column, is greater than 30.
A NoSQL database is a category of non-relational database management systems. These
databases do not conform to the “relational” model of a database, in which there is a significant
increase in the database workload and where a typical approach would be to upgrade hardware
to meet performance expectations. There is a time and cost impact of this approach, which is
referred to as “scaling up.” “Scaling out” refers to distributing large database workloads to multiple
hosts as workloads increase. NoSQL databases are popular with entities that deal with enormous
and varied data elements and wish to “scale out” in a more efficient manner.

A comparison of SQL and NoSQL databases is provided in Appendix G.

Messaging
Messaging in the context of this guide refers to the creating, sharing, using, and managing the
transfer of enterprise information over an IT network. Modern organizations use a variety of
internally and externally supported messaging tools to communicate internally, with business
partners, and with customers.

One of the most common forms of computer messaging is email, which at its core is a message
sent from one computer and received by another over a network. Email and the concept of
messaging in general has evolved over time to include elements such as text, images, and
attachments, and many organizations open their networks for public messaging tools, such as
Skype or Zoom.

Messaging Protocols
A number of protocols (message transfer rules) have been developed to administer and govern
the transfer of messages among computers on a network. There are a number of message-
related protocols that govern how messages are sent, received, and queued. An easy way to
think of a protocol is to consider it similar to a language. For two devices to communicate, they
must establish rules of the language they will follow.

As mentioned in the Routers and Switches portion of the Network Components and Concepts
section, TCP/IP defines the rules for how data is sent and received over a network. TCP/IP is the
baseline protocol that supports internet communication, and all other protocols leverage TCP/IP.

Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) governs how email messages are sent and received.
Messages must be queued because users are not necessarily immediately available to consume
them.

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