Company
Date Published
Author
Shlomi Noach
Word count
930
Language
English
Hacker News points
None

Summary

The relational model has been a surviving model in computer science for decades, suggesting its practicality and sensibility. However, it has drawbacks on the operational side, particularly with schema changes, which require significant expertise and coordination, making it challenging for developers to work with. The traditional DBA role has changed over time, and today's DBAs act more as enablers, ensuring database reliability while clearing a path for developers to do their work. Relational databases have not evolved to meet the needs of modern development velocity, requiring deeper understanding of database behavior and operational issues, making it an impediment in many cases. As a result, some companies are moving away from relational databases and opting for document stores or schema-less JSON columns to avoid the challenges associated with schema changes.