nosql-database-design

NoSQL Database Design

Table of Contents

• Overview
• When to Use
• Quick Start
• Reference Guides
• Best Practices

Overview

Design scalable NoSQL schemas for MongoDB (document) and DynamoDB (key-value). Covers data modeling patterns, denormalization strategies, and query optimization for NoSQL systems.

When to Use

• MongoDB collection design
• DynamoDB table and index design
• Document structure modeling
• Embedding vs. referencing decisions
• Query pattern optimization
• NoSQL indexing strategies
• Data denormalization planning

Quick Start

Minimal working example:

// Single document with embedded arrays
db.createCollection("users");

db.users.insertOne({
  _id: ObjectId("..."),
  email: "john@example.com",
  name: "John Doe",
  createdAt: new Date(),

  // Embedded address
  address: {
    street: "123 Main St",
    city: "New York",
    state: "NY",
    zipCode: "10001",
  },

  // Embedded array of items
  orders: [
    {
      orderId: ObjectId("..."),
      date: new Date(),
      total: 149.99,
    },
    {
// ... (see reference guides for full implementation)

Reference Guides

Detailed implementations in the references/ directory:

Guide	Contents
Document Structure Design	Document Structure Design
Indexing in MongoDB	Indexing in MongoDB
Schema Validation	Schema Validation
Table Structure	Table Structure
Global Secondary Indexes (GSI)	Global Secondary Indexes (GSI)
DynamoDB Item Operations	DynamoDB Item Operations

Best Practices

✅ DO

• Follow established patterns and conventions
• Write clean, maintainable code
• Add appropriate documentation
• Test thoroughly before deploying

❌ DON'T

• Skip testing or validation
• Ignore error handling
• Hard-code configuration values