SQL server is still much more capable than MySQL
Relational databases make connecting data together much easier, but ...
I expect that some of you have had to deal with capturing packets (phone call packets for example, before wireless was commonplace)
that were flying by your switch back in the early 90's, at at unheard of (at the time) pace.
All Relation databases were too slow to deal with the volumes of transactions that had to take place.
Up to the point where call data could be summarized into billable units, everything had to be dealt with using hashed flat files (whether in memory
or on disk) which were essentially what Python calls dictionaries.
After that point, the RDBMS took over
The database was one of Oracle, Sybase, Informix or homebrew.
Of course, PostgresSQL didn't exist (it actually did, but Berekley only released a few copies to very brave volunteers back in June of 1989)
I wasn't offered, and I am sure wouldn't have been allowed to use it even if I had been.
MySql wasn't released until May of 1995.
PostgreSQL is now the most advanced open-source database available anywhere.
I bit difficult to use, with the steep learning curve, but rich in performance and toolset.