How does the requirements specification for a software product determine the choice of database management system?

The specification of software requirements directly influences the choice of database management system (DBMS) based on the following criteria:

• Data type and structure: if data is strictly structured and requires complex relationships, a relational DBMS is preferred; for flexible or hierarchical data — NoSQL.
• Volume and processing speed: large volumes and high speed may require distributed or scalable solutions.
• Transaction and integrity requirements: if atomicity and consistency are important, choose a DBMS supporting ACID.
• Fault tolerance and backup requirements: the specification may provide for high availability, which affects the choice of a DBMS supporting replication.
• Integration with other systems and technologies: compatibility requirements may limit the choice.

Thus, analyzing requirements helps determine which DBMS best matches the functional and non-functional characteristics of the project.