Quest Software, a leading provider of management software for databases and applications, recently announced the availability of several new features in Toad for Oracle. Toad for Oracle is a comprehensive tool for database development and administration that enables DBAs to perform daily tasks efficiently and accurately. Some of the key new features in the newest version include the addition of Toad Data Modeler at no additional cost, predictive diagnostics in Toad DBA Suite for Oracle, and support for Oracle 11gR2.

Zmanda, a provider of open source backup and recovery software, has announced Zmanda Backup Appliance (ZBA), a pre-configured virtual backup server powered by SUSE Linux Enterprise Server which the vendor says runs on VMware Server, vSphere4, ESX, and ESXi. ZBA is intended to enable IT organizations to install a backup and recovery solution for heterogeneous desktops and servers, and backs up data to local disks, tape drives or clouds. Zmanda developed the ZBA solution as part of the SUSE Appliance Program, a business and technology program that was created to help ISVs build, configure and go to market with software and virtual appliances.

In composing a data model, the structures are put together thoughtfully and with intention. Data structures emerge from the application of semantics germane to the universe-of-discourse and filtered through the rules of normalization. Each table expresses meaning, with columns that are self-evident. The best models reduce the data items within the covered subject area into obvious arrangements. However, this simplicity often confuses observers, persuading many that modeling itself must therefore be a simple task. DBMS tools often incorporate wizards that facilitate the quick definition of tables which are then immediately created within the chosen database. These tools enable the developer to build tables in the blink of an eye. At times some prototypes are approached in this fashion, and while this provides for placeholders, such slapped-up table structures are insufficient for an industrial strength solution. Under these instant-table setups, developers often have no problem reworking large sections of code for minor changes, or misusing data elements to mean many things while making the determination of meanings at a specific point-in-time less clear. Unaware of these less-than-stellar consequences, users become confused; they often wonder why modeling tasks should ever need to be done because the proof of concept worked, didn't it?

Listen to a group of database professionals talk for awhile and someone will eventually bring up the topic of data deduplication. Data deduplication is a means to eliminate redundant data, either through hardware or software technologies. To illustrate, imagine you've drafted a new project plan and sent it to five teammates asking for input. That single file has now been reproduced, in identical bits and bytes, on a total of six computers. If everyone's email inbox is backed up every night, that's another six copies backed up on the email backup server. Through data deduplication technology, only a single instance of your project plan would be backed up, and all other instances of the identical file would simply be tiny on-disk pointers to the original.

As per my regular custom, this final DBA Corner column of the year is a review of the most significant data and database-related events of the year. Of course, to meet my deadlines, it is October 2009 as I write this, so please excuse any significant news that may have happened late in the year!

Rocket Software recently completed the purchase of the UniData and UniVerse Servers and Tools assets from IBM. Susie Siegesmund, now vice president and general manager for the U2 brand under Rocket, talks with Database Trends and Applications about why the timing was right for this move and what U2 customers and partners can expect under the new ownership.

Ian Abramson, president of the Independent Oracle Users Group, is traveling to Belgium in order to present the IOUG position on the pending acquisition of Sun by Oracle to the European Union's Competition Committee. Abramson, who will arrive in Brussels on Wednesday, was asked by Oracle, on behalf of the IOUG, to be a part of the company's presentation this week to the EU.

Oracle has announced the availability of Oracle Audit Vault Release 10.2.3.2, including key new reporting and alerting capabilities that streamline and help reduce the cost of the database audit process. To help ensure that the new Oracle Audit Vault entitlements and compliance-specific reports contain the information needed to pass real-world database audits, Oracle consulted with IT auditors, notes Vipin Samar, vice president of database security, Oracle. "This new release of Oracle Audit Vault will allow organizations to further automate their database activity monitoring and auditing processes, reducing the overall cost of meeting regulatory requirements and securing critical data."

Infobright, an open source data warehousing company, and Talend, an open source data integration company, have announced the availability of two integrated virtual machines for data warehousing and business intelligence. The first virtual machine combines the Infobright Community Edition analytic database with the Talend data integration tool, Talend Open Studio. The second virtual machine bundles these same two products with Jaspersoft's open source report server, JasperServer Community Edition, to deliver an end-to-end business intelligence solution.

Calpont Corporation is a database software company that provides column-oriented technology optimized to handle analytics, business intelligence and read-intensive application deployments. Recently, Calpont announced the availability of its open source database software, InfiniDB Community Edition. Enabled via MySQL and purpose-built for an analytic workload with column-oriented technology at its core, InfiniDB Community Edition delivers a full-feature scale-up solution that supports the rapidly increasing demand for open source analytics databases solutions.

Ntirety has launched a new, entry-level database service plan that offers 24x7 crash alerts and troubleshooting to quickly get businesses and databases back up and running, along with continuous backup monitoring and extensive reporting services. The new service plan is called NsureDB and delivers immediate alerts of down databases and dispatches Ntirety's experts to quickly remedy the problem.

Continuent, Inc., a provider of software solutions for continuous data availability, advanced database replication, backup, and database performance scalability, recently announced the availability of Continuent Tungsten 1.2. Tungsten 1.2 Community Edition is available free of charge, while customers who want more advanced features and on-call technical support are encouraged to purchase the commercial Tungsten Enterprise 1.2 edition.

The Independent Oracle Users Group has released a letter opposing the recent European Commission objection to the Oracle acquisition of Sun Microsystems.

Oracle has announced the new release of Oracle Berkeley DB Java Edition 4.0 including significant new features for high availability, scalability, and performance.

Altova has announced the availability of Version 2010 of the Altova MissionKit, an integrated suite of XML, database, and UML tools. Version 2010 delivers a large number of new features across the product line for XML editing, data mapping, visual stylesheet designing, UML modeling, database schema analysis, and comparing and merging XML and database content.

Integrating technology from its acquisition of GoldenGate Software into the Oracle Data Integration suite of solutions, Oracle has announced Oracle GoldenGate, which delivers low-impact real-time data integration and replication technology to Oracle Fusion Middleware and provides a comprehensive, heterogeneous data integration platform.

Idera, a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner and leading provider of management and administration solutions for Microsoft SQL Server, recently announced SQL virtual database, a new product for accessing and extracting data from SQL Server backup files.

SharePoint360 recently announced that it has been accepted into a Microsoft early adoption program for new upcoming business intelligence products. While early adoption programs span many technologies and generally only engage Microsoft customers, SharePoint360 says it was selected as a result of its work in highlighting Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 within Microsoft SharePoint Server.

Panorama Software, a provider of proactive Business Intelligence (BI) solutions, has announced its plans for the next release of its flagship product suite NovaView. Panorama's next release will extend its Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services support to natively support Microsoft's new PowerPivot technology (formerly known as Project Gemini). SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS) is Microsoft's online analytical processing (OLAP) technology, and PowerPivot is the name for Microsoft's next major update to SSAS.

The pervasive nature of data continues unabated, leaving organizations more awash in data than ever before. Technology has enabled the access and leveraging of information to heights undreamed of a generation ago. Between corporate dashboards and internet Googling, vast quantities of information are truly at one's finger tips. Data-driven, domain-driven, model-driven … the data itself is a force to be met and managed. When managed well, users never explicitly think about the databases that persist all that data.

If you've read the IT press at all these days, you know that SQL Injection (SI) attacks are very common and can be devastatingly effective. In fact, SI attacks-equally easy to execute against Oracle, MySQL, IBM DB2, or Microsoft SQL Server-are among the most common hacks on the Internet today. If a web application runs a relational database on the backend, it can be subject to an SI attack, which ironically, is among the easiest web hacks to prevent.

How many times have you been surfing the web only to encounter a form that requests a slew of personal information before you can continue on? You know what I'm talking about. A company markets a white paper or poll results or something else that intrigues you, so you click on the link, and bang, there you are. You don't have the information you wanted yet, but if you just fill out this form then you'll be redirected to the information.

A modern architecture, system stability and strong behind-the-scenes support are key attributes to consider when evaluating new database technology. In December 2008, Brasher's initiated a phased roll-out of its enterprise applications on the InterSystems CACHÉ high-performance database with MultiValue technology, concluding the implementation in January 2009. In all, the migration involved more than 8,000 programs and cataloged procedures ranging from accounting applications through real-time bid processing systems in auction venues. In going live with CACHÉ at each location, says Ty Brewer, Brasher's CIO, "our goal was for people to go home on a Friday and come back on a Monday and not notice anything different, other than things being faster. By and large, that's exactly what happened."

Performance bottlenecks have the potential to effectively cripple an entire organization, which can spell disaster for the enterprise. The lengthy downtime caused by poor database performance interrupts business continuity and reduces end-user productivity, and can cause a direct, negative impact on the organization's bottom line.

Oracle has announced the new release of Oracle Berkeley DB Java Edition 4.0 including significant new features for high availability, scalability, and performance.

Quest Software announced two significant product releases in the SQL Server performance management space at PASS Summit last week in Seattle. The latest release of Spotlight on SQL Server Enterprise, Quest's monitoring and diagnostics tool, now featuring business intelligence monitoring, coupled with the debut of Foglight for SQL Server, enables database administrators to proactively detect, diagnose and resolve SQL Server performance issues.

Oracle issued a statement Monday that its acquisition of Sun is essential for competition in the high-end server market, for revitalizing Sparc and Solaris and for strengthening the Java development platform. The company also said it plans to "vigorously oppose" the European Commission's Statement of Objections and that the evidence against the Commission's position is "overwhelming."

Aster Data, a provider of data warehousing solutions for "big data" applications, yesterday announced Aster Data Version 4.0, which the company describes as the industry's first "Massively Parallel Data-Application Server." Aster Data 4.0 allows companies to embed applications inside Aster Data's MPP (massively parallel processing) data warehouse, so businesses can now store, analyze and speed processing of terabytes to petabytes of data. The ability to push applications down into the MPP database also opens a new opportunity for companies to deliver new interactive, big data applications.

Attunity, a provider of real-time data integration and event capture software, has introduced a suite of Operational Data Replication (ODR) solutions integrated with Microsoft SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) which is designed to enable customers to replicate data in real-time across a set of heterogeneous data sources at an affordable price point. The solutions are designed to enhance business intelligence, improve business operations, and reduce total costs.