What Type of Data Is Stored in RDS?
Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS) is a managed database service provided by Amazon Web Services (AWS). It allows you to set up, operate, and scale a relational database in the cloud easily.
RDS supports various database engines, such as MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle, SQL Server, and more. But what types of data can you store in RDS? Let’s explore.
Structured Data
RDS is mainly designed to store structured data. Structured data refers to data that is organized into a predefined model or schema, typically stored in tables with rows and columns. This type of data is commonly found in relational databases.
RDS supports the storage of structured data using the different database engines it offers. For example:
- MySQL: You can store structured data using tables with defined columns and datatypes.
- PostgreSQL: Similar to MySQL, PostgreSQL allows you to define tables with columns and datatypes for storing structured data.
- Oracle: Oracle databases are known for their strong support for structured data storage.
- SQL Server: SQL Server provides robust capabilities to store structured data efficiently.
Semi-Structured Data
In addition to structured data, RDS also supports the storage of semi-structured data. Semi-structured data refers to data that does not conform to a rigid schema but still has some organization or format. This type of data is often represented in formats like JSON or XML.
RDS offers features specific to certain database engines that enable the storage and querying of semi-structured data:
- MySQL: With MySQL, you can use JSON data types to store semi-structured data. It allows you to store, index, and query JSON documents.
- PostgreSQL: PostgreSQL provides native support for JSON and XML data types, allowing you to store and query semi-structured data.
Binary Data
RDS also allows you to store binary data, such as images, audio files, or documents. This type of data is typically stored in BLOB (Binary Large Object) columns within the database. RDS supports the storage of binary data using various database engines:
- MySQL: MySQL provides BLOB and LONGBLOB data types for storing binary data.
- PostgreSQL: PostgreSQL offers BYTEA and BLOB data types for storing binary data.
- Oracle: Oracle databases support BLOB and CLOB (Character Large Object) for storing binary and large character-based data respectively.
- SQL Server: SQL Server provides VARBINARY and IMAGE data types for storing binary data.
Data Types and Constraints
RDS supports a wide range of built-in datatypes that allow you to define the structure of your data accurately. These datatypes include integers, floating-point numbers, strings, dates, timestamps, booleans, etc. Additionally, RDS supports constraints like primary keys, foreign keys, unique constraints, etc., to ensure the integrity of your structured data.
In Conclusion
RDS is capable of storing various types of data. It primarily focuses on structured data but also supports semi-structured data and binary data storage. Whether you need to store relational data, JSON documents, or binary objects, RDS offers the flexibility and scalability to meet your requirements.