August 2016 Summaries

Sync Gateway, a key component of the Couchbase Mobile stack, acts as a secure web gateway facilitating data synchronization and access between Couchbase Lite and Couchbase Server. It supports JSON configuration for specifying replications and allows multiple concurrent replications, including both OneShot and Continuous modes, without persistent storage, making it stateless and adaptable to disruptions. Version 1.3 introduces the ability for inter-instance replication, enabling flexible, uni-directional data flows between Sync Gateway instances that can form the basis of globally distributed systems. This architecture is particularly beneficial for mobile and IoT applications where offline performance is crucial, and standard network routing enhances client connectivity. Conflict resolution is managed through a multiversion concurrency control system, allowing document revisions to form a tree structure, with several methods available for resolving conflicts.

I'll be attending several sessions in Chicago during most of next week. On September 6th, I'll present "I Have a NoSQL Toaster" at the Chicago Geekfest. The following day, I'll give a talk on full stack development with .NET and NoSQL to the Chicago .NET Developers group. Additionally, on September 8th, I'll discuss SQL for JSON with the Lake County .NET Users Group. I'm looking forward to meeting attendees in person and sharing some surprises during my visits.

The author expresses excitement about the Windows 10 Anniversary Update, particularly due to the new Bash on Ubuntu feature, but notes issues with the Couchbase Server stemming from incompatibilities with TCMalloc, a tool within gperftools. The update causes the memcached component of Couchbase to repeatedly crash because of a code incompatibility, which is being addressed by Couchbase engineers. Users are advised to delay upgrading to the Anniversary Update or use alternatives such as virtual machines or different network machines until the issue is resolved. Progress on this issue can be tracked via MB-20519, and updates are available through the author's Twitter feed.

The Couchbase Java SDK integrates well with RxJava, allowing developers to write reactive code for N1QL queries. The provided examples demonstrate how synchronous code can be simplified and made more efficient using RxJava. With RxJava, the same query is executed asynchronously, transforming the data into a Java Map and returning it as an observable value. This approach provides an event-based method for handling asynchronous data manipulation, making it simple to use and powerful in its application.

The text discusses a common query regarding the ability to copy documents between buckets in Couchbase using N1QL, a query language similar to SQL. It explains that copying documents from one bucket to another is feasible and involves using N1QL's INSERT command. The process starts with selecting the desired documents from the source bucket using a SELECT statement, which retrieves both the document key and content. The selected data is then inserted into the target bucket using the INSERT INTO command, specifying the key and value. The text also highlights some important considerations such as ensuring good indexing and adjusting timeouts for large document transfers, while noting that N1QL INSERT supports various operations including single and bulk inserts. The author encourages further exploration of N1QL through the Couchbase N1QL Forum and invites readers to follow them on Twitter for more insights and potential blog post ideas.

The text emphasizes the importance of securing database deployments, particularly focusing on Couchbase databases, which are often found unprotected on the internet. It highlights key security practices such as avoiding the publication of databases on the public internet, securing administrative access, and using passwords. A significant point of concern is the "default bucket," a pre-configured database that is automatically set up during initial access to the administration console. While useful for testing, deploying the default bucket in a production environment is discouraged due to security risks. The text advises skipping the creation of the default bucket, a feature available from Couchbase version 4.5 onwards, to enhance security and encourages users to create custom buckets relevant to their use case instead.

The CEAN stack, which uses Couchbase Server instead of MongoDB, is explored in the context of learning Angular2 for the first time, emphasizing the use of TypeScript as a code-behind language for managing data and responding to events. The author, who is new to modern UI frameworks, discusses the integration of Angular2 with HTML views, explaining how TypeScript files load data and handle events such as deleting an item from a list. The text delves into Angular2's specific syntax, such as *ngFor for iterating over arrays and the use of Mustache-like syntax for data binding. Although expressing skepticism about the long-term benefits of Angular2 and TypeScript, the author is committed to learning these tools, highlighting the importance of asynchronous programming with Promises for handling HTTP requests. The exploration of Angular2 also touches on potential blog topics like forms, JavaScript libraries, and confirmation dialogs, indicating a continued interest in mastering the framework despite initial reservations.

Couchbase Server 4.1.2 has been released as the latest bug-fix update in the 4.x series, addressing key issues related to DCP, indexing, querying, XDCR, and security based on user feedback. The update aims to strengthen the existing series and is recommended for users of Couchbase Server 4.1.x Enterprise Edition who are impacted by these bugs. Users are encouraged to download the new version, explore its improvements, and provide their feedback.

Couchbase Mobile version 1.3 introduces document expiration, a feature that automates the purging of documents from the local database when they are no longer needed, akin to the existing TTL feature in Couchbase Server. The system stores data as JSON documents and revisions, with deletion and purging offering different methods for managing outdated or irrelevant data. While deleting a document replaces it with a "tombstone" entry and still allows for replication, purging completely removes it locally but not remotely, potentially freeing up space while allowing re-synchronization if the remote document changes. Document expiration simplifies this process by setting an expiration date, after which the document is automatically purged, although the actual purging might experience slight delays. This feature allows for efficient management of local data storage while maintaining the capability to re-access information if needed.

The eighth episode of the NoSQL Database Podcast, now available on major platforms like Pocket Casts and iTunes, features a discussion with Ashok Joshi from Oracle about Oracle's NoSQL database platform and its integration with relational database management systems (RDBMS). The episode explores the distinctions between Oracle's NoSQL and relational databases, and how they can be combined to enhance enterprise infrastructure. Additionally, it delves into the scalability of Oracle NoSQL and various methods of querying it, including through Oracle RDBMS. Listeners can direct questions to the hosts via email, and additional resources are available for those interested in Couchbase and its applications.

The Couchbase sub-document API allows developers to read and write only parts of a document rather than the full document, which is beneficial for transferring large documents between the application layer and Couchbase Server. This can be achieved using the Node.js SDK for Couchbase, where developers can create functions such as `createDocument`, `getSubDocument`, `upsertSubDocument`, and `getDocument` to manipulate specific parts of a document. The sub-document API enables efficient data management by reducing the transfer size of documents and allowing developers to update only specific properties without obtaining the full document first.

Couchbase .NET SDK version 2.3.5 introduces several enhancements and bug fixes, focusing on improved security and compatibility with future .NET Core releases. A significant update includes the implementation of SCRAM-SHA1, a more secure authentication mechanism that enhances password hashing without requiring configuration changes from users. The release also sets groundwork for .NET Core support by addressing specific compatibility issues with socket connections, SSL streams, and asynchronous calls under NUnit 3. Additionally, N1QL Query Timing is introduced to aid in diagnosing network issues, while SDK convergence efforts aim to maintain consistency across different programming models. The release notes highlight various fixes and improvements, underscoring the commitment to enhancing the developer experience and preparing for a forthcoming developer preview of the Couchbase .NET Core SDK.

Couchbase Mobile 1.3 has been released, offering a comprehensive NoSQL database solution designed to enhance data storage, access, synchronization, and security across application stacks. The latest version introduces features aimed at improving app performance and developer convenience, such as support for OpenID Connect, which allows authentication through third-party identity providers like Google+ and PayPal. It also includes document expiration capabilities for automatic database cleanup of short-lived documents. Furthermore, the release supports Sync Gateway-to-Sync Gateway replication for diverse deployment configurations and provides a new command line utility, sgcollect_info, for gathering detailed Sync Gateway statistics. Developers are encouraged to download the update and explore the accompanying release notes and resources available on the Couchbase Mobile Developer Portal.

The text discusses querying methods in Couchbase Server, emphasizing the efficiency of direct lookups based on document keys compared to querying views or writing N1QL queries. It highlights the advantage of batching multiple key lookups into a single request to improve performance and reduce network requests, specifically using the getMulti method in Node.js. An illustrative example is provided, demonstrating how to retrieve multiple documents from a locally running Couchbase instance using this method. The text also references additional resources, including a blog post by Kirk Kirkconnel and Couchbase documentation, for further information on performance differences and batching operations.

The video introduces the new Query Workbench feature in Couchbase Server 4.5 and directs viewers to a blog post from July for more detailed information. For those interested in further exploring Couchbase, the Couchbase Developer Portal is recommended as a resource. The presenter, Matthew Groves, invites questions or comments via Twitter, email, or the Couchbase forums, offering multiple channels for engagement and support.