What scalability problems have you encountered using a NoSQL data store? [closed]

NoSQL refers to non-relational data stores that break with the history of relational databases and ACID guarantees. Popular open source NoSQL data stores include:

  • Cassandra (tabular, written in Java, used by Cisco, WebEx, Digg, Facebook, IBM, Mahalo, Rackspace, Reddit and Twitter)
  • CouchDB (document, written in Erlang, used by BBC and Engine Yard)
  • Dynomite (key-value, written in Erlang, used by Powerset)
  • HBase (key-value, written in Java, used by Bing)
  • Hypertable (tabular, written in C++, used by Baidu)
  • Kai (key-value, written in Erlang)
  • MemcacheDB (key-value, written in C, used by Reddit)
  • MongoDB (document, written in C++, used by Electronic Arts, Github, NY Times and Sourceforge)
  • Neo4j (graph, written in Java, used by some Swedish universities)
  • Project Voldemort (key-value, written in Java, used by LinkedIn)
  • Redis (key-value, written in C, used by Craigslist, Engine Yard and Github)
  • Riak (key-value, written in Erlang, used by Comcast and Mochi Media)
  • Ringo (key-value, written in Erlang, used by Nokia)
  • Scalaris (key-value, written in Erlang, used by OnScale)
  • Terrastore (document, written in Java)
  • ThruDB (document, written in C++, used by JunkDepot.com)
  • Tokyo Cabinet/Tokyo Tyrant (key-value, written in C, used by Mixi.jp (Japanese social networking site))

I’d like to know about specific problems you – the SO reader – have solved using data stores and what NoSQL data store you used.

Questions:

  • What scalability problems have you used NoSQL data stores to solve?
  • What NoSQL data store did you use?
  • What database did you use prior to switching to a NoSQL data store?

I’m looking for first-hand experiences, so please do not answer unless you have that.

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