A data store is a repository for persistently storing and managing collections of data which include not just repositories like databases, but also simpler store types such as simple files, emails, etc. A database is a series of bytes that is managed by a database management system (DBMS). A file is a series of bytes that is managed by a file system. Thus, any database or file is a series of bytes that, once stored, is called a data store. MATLAB and Cloud Storage systems like VMware, Firefox OS use datastore as a term for abstracting collections of data inside their respective applications. Types Data store can refer to a broad class of storage systems including: Paper files Simple files like a spreadsheet File systems Email storage systems (both server and client systems) Databases Relational databases, based on the relational model of data Object-oriented databases. They can save objects of an object-oriented design. NoSQL databases Key-value databases Wide Column Store Graph databases Distributed data stores Directory services VMware uses the term datastore to refer to a file that stores a virtual machine See also Data architecture Data flow diagram Database Distributed data store References Databases Database management systems