Database, Database, Database, and Database!

By Luis Motta Campos, Site Reliability Engineering Technical Leader at Cisco ThousandEyes

Since I joined ThousandEyes on June 8, 2022, I have been closely listening to people here, trying to learn a trick or three.

As a newcomer, sometimes it takes effort to follow a conversation, as you are unaccustomed to the local jargon or the meaning of certain, more exotic acronyms. After a while, these aches start to settle, and one begins to pick up on what people say.

A particularly interesting word I often hear during a regular day at the office is “database.” I have a certain level of admiration for this word. While I can certainly attribute part of this feeling to the fact that I like to think of myself as a sort of specialist on that subject, there is another layer to that word that I personally consider fascinating. It is, by far, one of the most ambiguously used words in our industry, with at least half a dozen distinct-yet-deliciously-interleaved meanings that are guaranteed to confuse even the largest and best-prepared NLP neural networks around here (and by that I mean you, dear reader).

While I can appreciate a good pun or ambiguous use of language as well as the next human, there are certain situations where this ambiguity is unwelcome, at best, and, at worst, potentially harmful to our business and relationships.

On the bright side, it is a relatively simple issue to address.To do so, we need to agree on and start using some new vocabulary so that this annoying yet delicious ambiguity can go away. Towards that goal, I took the liberty of compiling the four most common uses of the word “database,” along with some simple definitions and my humble suggestions on eliminating the ambiguity that comes with it. I hope you enjoy and make good use of it.

Database, the files

Back in the day, the original meaning of the word “database” was “the (collection of) file(s) that contains the data”. Nowadays, to make this less ambiguous, I suggest we use “data files” or “database files.” This way, everybody will understand you mean the files themselves.

Database, the schema

Sometimes I hear people say “database” meaning “a collection of tables.” This is also a valid use of the word “database” and, as you may be able to tell from the overall theme here, also a source of unnecessary ambiguity. Perhaps we should use “schema” for this, as it describes more closely what is being conveyed than “database”. You can even make it easier for your fellow engineers and use it together: “database schema”.

Database, the engine

Another wildly popular meaning of the word “database” is the software application that is formally known as Relational Database Management System (or RDBMS, for the acronymically inclined). In this particular case, I suggest you remain obvious and say “the database engine” or “the database software”.

Database, the host, or the hardware, or the instance, or the cluster

Last but certainly not least important, I’ve heard “database” used to signify the host, the instance, the cluster, or, more abstractly, the hardware (be it in the cloud or simply a Docker image). Once again, with so many terms going around, it is better to be specific and qualify: “the database host” or “the database instance” or “the database cluster” will do wonders to eliminate ambiguity.

Conclusion

As we wrap up this lexical expedition, we acknowledge that the term “database” is much like a chameleon, blending into various conversational landscapes with ease yet often leaving a trail of ambiguity in its wake. By establishing a shared vernacular — distinguishing between the physicality of “data files,” the architecture of a “schema,” the mechanics of a “database engine,” and the locality of a “database host” or “cluster” — we arm ourselves with linguistic precision. This endeavor is not merely an exercise in semantics; it’s a commitment to the clarity and accuracy that underpin the integrity of our work at ThousandEyes.

Let us then set sail in this sea of data, with our newfound navigational terms as our trusty sextant, ensuring we can chart a course through even the most nebulous of database dialogues. As we steer away from the murky waters of confusion, we embrace a horizon where every mention of “database” is as clear and purposeful as a lighthouse beam, guiding us safely to our desired technical outcomes. This is the voyage from babel to harmony, from a thousand misunderstood phrases to a single, unified language of data discourse; we will know the meaning of each word when we say, with a thousand voices, “database, database, database, and database!”

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