Word of the Day: graph database

Word of the Day Daily updates on the latest technology terms |April 6, 2017

graph database A graph database, also called a graph-oriented database, is a type of NoSQL database that uses graph theory to store, map and query relationships. A graph database is essentially a collection of nodes and edges. Each node represents an entity (such as a person or business) and each edge represents a connection or relationship between two nodes. Every node in a graph database is defined by a unique identifier, a set of outgoing edges and/or incoming edges and a set of properties expressed as key/value pairs. Each edge is defined by a unique identifier, a starting-place and/or ending-place node and a set of properties. The mantra of graph database enthusiasts is "If you can whiteboard it, you can graph it."     Graph databases are well-suited for analyzing interconnections, which is why there has been a lot of interest in using graph databases to mine data from social media. Graph databases are also useful for working with data in business disciplines that involve complex relationships and dynamic schema, such as supply chain management, identifying the source of an IP telephony issue, distinguishing fraudulent behavior from valid instances of similar transactions and creating "customers who bought this also looked at..." recommendations. The concept behind graphing a database is often credited to 18th century mathematician Leonhard Euler. Quote of the Day "The fraud investigation process remains complicated for companies, but graph databases' information management techniques can help collect and manage valuable evidentiary data." - David Loshin   Trending Terms NoSQL graph theory social graph data mining six degrees of separation   Learning Center Graph databases could prove invaluable to fraud investigation process The fraud investigation process is complicated, but the data management techniques used by graph databases could help govern evidential information. Graph technology the beating heart of new data management tools Graph technology is now appearing in many data applications. At Informatica World, it underlay a host of systems, including a new metadata catalog. Semantic graph database underpins healthcare data lake Underpinning a data lake for healthcare providers is a semantic graph database that enables predictive analytics using data from multiple sources. Graph data model cements tight relationships between data elements Graph databases offer more flexibility and better usability than relational database management systems. Learn more about the benefits of a graph data model. Why Facebook and the NSA love graph databases Graph databases help us understand important relationships between data points rather than compartmentalizing them. See how IT teams are implementing this approach for businesses. Writing for Business Some people join social networking sites but don't ________ them often. a. frequent b. visit Answer       Stay In Touch For feedback about any of our definitions or to suggest a new definition, please contact me at: mrouse@techtarget.com   Visit the Word of the Day Archives and catch up on what you've missed!   FOLLOW US About This E-Newsletter This e-newsletter is published by the TechTarget network. To unsubscribe from Whatis.com, click here. Please note, this will not affect any other subscriptions you have signed up for. TechTarget, Whatis, 275 Grove Street, Newton, MA 02466. Contact: webmaster@techtarget.com Copyright 2016 TechTarget. All rights reserved.