The advantages of relational databases include:
Data Integrity: Relational databases enforce data integrity through the use of keys, constraints, and transactions. This ensures that the data remains accurate and consistent. For example, a database might enforce that each record in a table has a unique identifier, preventing duplicate entries.
Structured Data: They store data in a structured format, using tables with rows and columns. This makes it easier to understand, manage, and query the data. For instance, a relational database for a library might have tables for books, authors, and loans, with clear relationships between them.
Scalability: Many relational databases can scale efficiently by adding more hardware resources, such as CPU, memory, or storage. This allows them to handle increased workloads as a business grows.
Standardization: They use Structured Query Language (SQL) for querying and managing data, which is a widely accepted standard. This makes it easier to find skilled administrators and developers.
ACID Compliance: Relational databases follow the principles of ACID (Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, Durability), ensuring reliable transactions and data integrity even in the event of system failures.
Security: They offer robust security features, including encryption, access controls, and audit logs, to protect data from unauthorized access and breaches.
For businesses looking to leverage these advantages in the cloud, services like Tencent Cloud's Cloud Database (CDB) for MySQL and MariaDB provide a reliable, scalable, and secure relational database solution.