OQGRAPH - A Overview
Published: 2023-03-25 07:52:12

OQGRAPH is a storage engine of MariaDB that provides support for graph-based data structures. OQGRAPH stands for "Open Query GRAPH engine". It is a plugin storage engine that can be used with MariaDB and MySQL databases. OQGRAPH is designed to provide efficient storage and retrieval of complex graph structures, such as social networks, recommendation systems, and network topologies.

## Overview of Graph Databases

A graph database is a type of database that uses a graph data model to represent data. In a graph database, data is represented as nodes and edges. Nodes represent entities, such as people, places, or things, while edges represent relationships between nodes. Graph databases are designed to provide efficient querying and analysis of complex relationships between entities.

Graph databases are widely used in applications that deal with social networks, recommendation systems, and network topologies. For example, a social network can be represented as a graph where nodes represent users, and edges represent relationships between users, such as friendships, likes, and comments.

## Overview of OQGRAPH Storage Engine

OQGRAPH is a storage engine that provides support for graph-based data structures. OQGRAPH is implemented as a plugin storage engine that can be used with MariaDB and MySQL databases. OQGRAPH provides an efficient way to store and retrieve complex graph structures. OQGRAPH uses a recursive query algorithm to traverse the graph and retrieve data.

_OQGRAPH provides several key features, including:_

- Storage of directed and undirected graphs
- Efficient traversal of graphs
- Support for multiple graph indexes
- Support for custom graph algorithms
- Automatic graph compression to reduce storage space



## How OQGRAPH Works

OQGRAPH stores graph data as a set of nodes and edges in a table. Each node is represented as a row in the table, and each edge is represented as a foreign key that references the source and destination nodes. OQGRAPH supports directed and undirected graphs. In a directed graph, edges have a direction, while in an undirected graph, edges do not have a direction.

To retrieve data from a graph, OQGRAPH uses a recursive query algorithm. The algorithm starts at a given node and traverses the graph by following the edges to neighboring nodes. The algorithm continues recursively until it reaches the end of the graph or until a specified depth is reached. OQGRAPH supports multiple graph indexes, which can be used to optimize traversal of the graph.

OQGRAPH also supports custom graph algorithms. Custom graph algorithms can be defined using SQL queries and can be used to perform tasks such as pathfinding, clustering, and community detection.

## Conclusion

OQGRAPH is a storage engine of MariaDB that provides support for graph-based data structures. OQGRAPH is designed to provide efficient storage and retrieval of complex graph structures, such as social networks, recommendation systems, and network topologies. OQGRAPH is implemented as a plugin storage engine that can be used with MariaDB and MySQL databases. OQGRAPH provides several key features, including efficient traversal of graphs, support for multiple graph indexes, and support for custom graph algorithms. With its efficient storage and retrieval of graph structures, OQGRAPH is an excellent choice for businesses looking to build graph-based applications.