Databases and managed services

Managed databases remove server chores like backups and patching.

📖 Key ideas

Relational managed DBs: Amazon RDS, Azure SQL, Cloud SQL.
NoSQL options: DynamoDB, Cosmos DB, Firestore.
Managed services handle backups, patching and failover.
Read replicas spread read traffic.
Choose SQL for structured, related data and NoSQL for flexible, high-scale access patterns.

💡 Real-life example: Like hiring a caretaker for your library: you choose the books, they handle dusting, repairs and backups.

Managed databaseDatabase run by the provider

Read replicaCopy that serves reads

FirestoreGoogle's managed NoSQL database

FailoverSwitching to a standby on failure