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I secretly think that NoSQL data stores are rabbits. They're breeding under the floorboards when we're asleep. How else do you explain a landscape that includes Redis, Riak, CouchDB, Tokyo Cabinet, Flock, MongoDB, and Cassandra, among many others? Mopsy and Cottontail can't be far behind.

Given this, picking the right rabâ€¦ er, data store for your project can be a challenge. There are lots of factors to consider, such as tail fluffiness, consistency guarantees, replication strategies, and ear length.

But the Ruby API for the data store is important too. That's what you'll be dealing with day in and day out once you make your choice. If you can't stand the interface, you'll get sick of cleaning the cage pretty quickly.

In this talk, I'll run you through the mechanics of accessing several NoSQL data stores with Ruby. I promise not to bring a rabbit to the conference, and I definitely won't bring two. The last thing we need is more.

Help us caption & translate this video!

http://amara.org/v/GZSh/

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In the talk "Ruby APIs for NoSQL" delivered by Sarah Mei at GoGaRuCo 2010, the discussion revolves around how Ruby developers can effectively access and manage multiple NoSQL data stores. Recognizing the increasing complexity of applications, Mei refers to the concept of 'polyglot persistence', where projects often incorporate various data stores beyond traditional SQL databases.

Key points covered in the video include: 
- **Audience Engagement**: Mei starts by gauging audience experience with various data storage solutions, illustrating the growing adoption of NoSQL.
- **Traditional Rails Application Diagram**: The talk begins with a simple Rails architecture, emphasizing that most applications likely evolve into incorporating multiple data storage solutions.
- **Complexity of Modern Applications**: As applications become more complex, developers often integrate NoSQL data stores like Solr for search, Redis for caching, and S3 for file storage, which leads to polyglot persistence.
- **Encapsulation Challenges**: Mei highlights the difficulty of unifying data models when data is scattered across multiple stores and the implications this has for Rails applications.
- **ActiveModel Introduction**: The advent of ActiveModel in Rails 3 is discussed as a means to better manage validations and lifecycle callbacks separately from data persistence, fostering a clearer architecture.
- **Combining SQL and NoSQL**: Mai explains how developers can leverage both SQL and NoSQL effectively and discusses challenges associated with integrating these technologies.

**Examples and Illustrations**: Mei walks through the development of a 'cephalopod social network', showing how classes and data structures may evolve to incorporate multiple storage systems—like integrating Redis for a friend graph and using S3 for storing user uploads.

**Main Takeaways**: 
- Applications often require multiple data stores to accommodate various data needs. 
- Ruby developers should embrace a polyglot persistence approach, utilizing both SQL and NoSQL databases based on the project’s requirements. 
- The need for a cohesive model that allows interaction between different data stores is essential for application architecture, and upgrading to Rails 3 can help facilitate this transition.
- Ultimately, understanding the strengths and weaknesses of different data stores, along with being open to utilizing new technologies, positions developers for success in current development environments.

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