Are you drawn toward blockchain technology, but not yet sure of the relationship between blockchain and database? Here, we have summarized that relationship simply: the comparison of blockchain to database.
For a novice user, both technologies might seem similar. However, that’s not right even though several people consider blockchain to be “just another database. Data storage choices database and blockchain are architecturally diverse and have their own collections of assets, vulnerabilities, and difficulties.
On one side, database storage is created as per client-server architecture and can work in short and large-scale conditions. Supporting database storage, the client works as a receiver, and servers the data storage site– functions as a Central Processing Unit. Firewalls and anti-malware software guard every sort of information and data interchange among clients and servers.
On the other side, blockchain storage is in total contrast to the client server-based design of a database. It is decentralized storage working on a peer-to-peer network of dispersed ledgers. Data is stored in the common or single blockchain in blocks that are ensured by cryptographic hash.
Let’s explore how blockchain is not just a database, and how the comparison of blockchain to database will help you to determine how diverse they are and which one is best for you.
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What is Blockchain Technology?
Blockchain was launched in 2009 when bitcoin became the first mode to execute it. In bitcoin, a blockchain is a permanent digital public record that is a continuously increasing shared database that is cryptographically guarded. A blockchain reserves data in uniform-sized blocks. Each block includes the hashed knowledge from the previous block to implement cryptographic security.
The hashing utilizes SHA256, which is a one-way hash function. This hashed knowledge is the data and digital signature from the previous block and the hashes of earlier blocks that go back to the extremely first block built in the blockchain named as a “genesis block.” A decentralized system is extremely resistant to liabilities. If a connection malfunctions on the bitcoin network, it doesn’t cause the whole system to collapse. There are various nodes on the network that operate the blockchain. Decentralization also supplements extra security as the data stored on one computer need to be replicated to all nodes in the network.
Advantages of Blockchain
Decentralization
A decentralized system is extremely resistant to liabilities. If a connection malfunctions on the bitcoin network, it doesn’t cause the whole system to collapse. There are various nodes on the network that operate the blockchain. Decentralization also supplements extra security as the data stored on one computer need to be replicated to all nodes in the network.
Immutability
A blockchain stocks data that becomes stable, indicating it cannot be exchanged once a block has been verified. This also gives it resistance to tampering and use because the data is reported on a digital public distributed ledger put on many nodes.
Transparency
A key characteristic of blockchain is transparency. This benefit allows everything written on the blockchain to be censorship-resistant. Data about a business cannot be deceived, so this builds more confidence and supplements the benefit to the system.
Security
As blockchain utilizes high-level cryptographic technology and a shared decentralized network, it creates a protected environment. Changing the data structure on a block needs a plethora of computing support.
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Disadvantages of Database
Customizability for User Friendliness
Traditional centralized databases can be customized by the controller depending on market fundamentals. It can also be assigned to many situations in which the data can be consolidated to a control database for queries and stories. One of the biggest disadvantages of blockchain is the computer support needed to manage a blockchain such as bitcoin, which consumes large volumes of electricity. A section of the protocol is needed to prepare transactions in the Proof-of-Work data structures.
Scalability
Blockchain don’t balance properly when it comes to high-capacity transactions. Because of the solidified block size, there are difficulties with the growing transaction amount. The restrictions also change transaction velocity, where the largest blockchain cannot process over 15 steps per second.
Size
This is the biggest issue of the blockchain database – their size. When they get bigger, they utilize more time for storage and this causes them to slow down. Bitcoin’s blockchain is now > 100 GB, while Ethereum’s blockchain dimension has exceeded 1 TB.
High Transaction Fees
The fees to method transactions are an additional matter that Bitcoin suffers. Whenever the market is high, performance fees also reach up to serve miners. Maintaining transaction fees below or eliminating transaction fees is difficult for blockchain designers.
Interoperability
This is currently a problem because, unlike traditional databases, all blockchain is pretty much its ecosystem. Some protocols intend to make blockchain operate with respect to others.
What is a Traditional Database?
A database can be changed, maintained, and regulated by a single user-designated executive. The database perpetually has a user that operates as a DB Admin and that user has control of the entire database. This user can build, delete, change, and alter any document collected in a database. They can also make an order on the database, like optimizing performance and maintaining its capacity to more flexible levels.
A comprehensive database leads to potential performance, so admins can control optimization techniques to develop performance. The admin can then select certain functions for other users that enable them to manage or maintain the database. For instance, an admin can choose a part of a user that enables them to generate new users for the database. When something performs back, the admin and their agents can recover a database from backup.
Advantages of Database
Customizability for User Friendliness
Traditional centralized databases can be customized by the controller depending on market fundamentals. It can also be assigned to many situations in which the data can be consolidated to a control database for queries and stories.
Stability
When properly maintained, a database system can manage large quantities of data and thousands of events per second. They are also durable because databases, as they are asked, privilege the way to write services only to a preferred some, and the data is written to a few servers, but the data can be made convenient to many users.
Transaction Speed and Volume
Today’s databases are created for both large amounts of business processing and data analytics. This suggests they are analyzed, processed, and valid for mission-critical services in enterprise production conditions.
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Disadvantages of Database
Single Point of Failure
Because it is centralized, there is one case of failure. The data is in the guidance of a single substance or group, so there is no means to ensure it is being practiced for the best purpose, as in the state of data from social media turning up in support of severe characters. An organization that has the power of data can monetize it for third-party management, but it is seldom in the greatest percentage of users.
Administrator Account
As a database needs an administrator if the key is lost, it becomes more difficult to obtain a database. If the DB Admin has no substitute administrator that has rights to a database administration system, no one can build different databases or change existing databases.
Security Issues
In a centralized model, if the administrator neglects to use patches and updates, the method can be exposed to security deeds by hackers. This presents the traditional database that is likely to breach. Centralization should make administration more manageable, but at other points when not correctly done, it can create very decisive obstacles that influence data sincerity in a system.
Blockchain vs. Database: The Difference
The main difference between blockchain and database is centralization. While all documents are obtained on a centralized database, each member on a blockchain has a bound copy of all documents and all differences so each user can observe the origin of the data structure.
The magic occurs when there is inequality — as each participant keeps a model of the records, blockchain technology will quickly recognize and change any inaccurate information. Let say a watch would quickly self-correct for daytime maintenance time. Even if a third body maliciously altered the course so they would be late, the time would quickly be tested against all members and changed.
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Blockchain vs. Database: Final Thoughts
While blockchain and traditional databases are both valuable tools for collecting information that support critical business methods, each technology transcends in different areas. Blockchain technology has a certain advantage when it proceeds to implement strong, fault-tolerant access to building critical data. A traditional database seems to have a definitive edge when it arrives at performance.
It seems strange that relational databases will always give the standard of robustness that the extremely parallel blockchain do, and it’s dubious that blockchain will ever render the level of performance of databases. So, choose as per your requirement, as both of them have their own set of benefits and drawbacks.
Author Bio:
Paul Crawford has been working as a technology consultant at Tatvasoft, a software development company, for the last few years. Along with that, he is a part-time blogger with a passion to learn and write on trending technologies in the development space.
