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AEM data storage system combines the characteristics of conventional file systems with relational databases. It is the best of both worlds.

What are the best characteristics of file systems it uses?

What are the best characteristics of relational databases it uses?

How to compare and contrast AEM data storage system with these two?

Thanks,

Rama.

[Himanshu_Singhal]

Hi @AEM_Forum 

Talking about the storage concept in AEM:
AEM server holds both content and binary data. For a better deployment isolation and organising data considering performance and scalability of AEM, the binary data(for eg media files) can be stored independently from the content nodes by configuring it.

Generally binary data is stored in a data store, whereas content nodes are stored in a node store. Both 'data stores' and 'node stores' can be configured by updating persistent identifier (PID) in OSGi configuration.

Say when we are working with large number of binaries, Adobe recommends to use an external data store instead of the default node stores. This provides better performance.

The external data store can be File Data Store, Amazon S3 Data Store, Azure Data Store which works well when we need to store binaries like media files.

Node store can be of two types 'Segment Node' Store & 'Document node' store. Segment node store is the basis of Adobe's TarMK implementation & document node store is the basis of AEM's MongoMK implementation in AEM6x.

Reference: https://www.aemtutorial.info/2019/05/storage-concepts-in-aem-65.html

Now, from the above given description I don't see the use of relational database and what is given above is what AEM uses for data storage.

I hope it helps.

Best regards,
Himanshu Singhal

[AEM_Forum]

Hi Himanshu,

All this is very useful information.

But for someone reading through JCR Fundamentals this is the text:

AEM data storage system combines the characteristics of conventional file systems with relational databases. It is the best of both worlds.

It is in this context that I am trying to know how to compare and contrast AEM data storage system with conventional file systems with relational databases.

[Jörg_Hoh]

No, Adobe does not recommend to use a relational database. It is possible to use a relational database for author (mostly for high-availability), but this option is rarely chosen.

[AEM_Forum]

Hi Jorg,

I am trying to understand one level below on this notion:

AEM data storage system combines the characteristics of conventional file systems with relational databases. It is the best of both worlds.

Which best options of conventional file systems and relational databases does it inherit?

Thanks,

Rama.

[Monendra_Singh · Accepted solution]

Hi Rama,

AEM is a content management system that allows users to create, manage, and publish digital experiences. The data storage system used by AEM combines the characteristics of both file systems and relational databases in order to provide a range of capabilities for managing and organizing data.

Some of the best characteristics of file systems that AEM uses include:

1. File organization: AEM's data storage system allows users to organize and store files in a hierarchical structure, similar to a conventional file system. This can make it easier to find and access specific files.

2. File metadata: AEM's data storage system allows users to add metadata to files, such as tags and descriptions, which can help users to find and classify files more easily.

3. File security: AEM's data storage system provides security features, such as access controls and permissions, to protect files from unauthorized access.

Some of the best characteristics of relational databases that AEM uses include:

1. Data modeling: AEM's data storage system allows users to model data in a structured manner, similar to a relational database. This can help users to organize and manage data in a consistent and efficient way.

2. Data querying: AEM's data storage system allows users to perform complex queries on data stored in the system, similar to a relational database. This can be useful for extracting specific pieces of information from large datasets.

3. Data integrity: AEM's data storage system ensures the integrity of data by enforcing rules on data relationships and maintaining consistency across the system.

To compare and contrast AEM's data storage system with file systems and relational databases, it is useful to consider the specific capabilities and features of each type of system. AEM's data storage system combines some of the best characteristics of both file systems and relational databases, providing a range of capabilities for managing and organizing data. 

Hope this helps.

Thanks,

Monendra