Database Management Articles
2015 is going to be a big year for big data in the enterprise, according to Oracle. Neil Mendelson, Oracle vice president of big data and advanced analytics, shared Oracle's "Top 7" big data predictions for 2015. "The technology is moving very quickly and it is gaining to the point where a broader set of people can get into it - not just because it is affordable - but because they no longer require specialized skills in order to take advantage of it," he said.
Posted December 15, 2014
Big data continues to have an impact on business, government, and society at large. Here's a look back at 10 noteworthy blog posts from 2014. These blog posts explore the benefits and downsides of advancements in big data technologies.
Posted December 15, 2014
Oracle has announced its latest-generation NAS storage system, the Oracle ZFS Storage ZS4-4. Co-engineered with Oracle Database 12c, the ZFS Storage ZS4-4 provides analytics for pluggable databases, doubles previous generation performance to enable faster time to actionable intelligence, and also provides high-level protection against security breaches with fine-grained encryption capabilities. The OS 8.3 adds over 30 enhancements and three new innovations that expand Oracle's leadership in NAS performance, efficiency, and application-engineered storage, said Oracle executive vice president John Fowler.
Posted December 10, 2014
Town Sports International (TSI) operates fitness clubs in major United States metropolitan areas, including New York, Boston, Washington DC, and Philadelphia. TSI needed a high-availability, high-performance platform to host its updated Oracle E-Business Suite applications, but wanted to avoid the complex and lengthy deployment timelines typically associated with integrating servers, networks, and storage from multiple vendors, as well as the costs and data center space requirements associated with such projects. To meet its goals, TSI deployed an architecture based on two Oracle Database Appliances with the virtualized platform, one for test and one for production, as the platform for its deployment of Oracle Database with Real Application Clusters, Oracle VM and Oracle E-Business Suite.
Posted December 10, 2014
Citus Data is releasing an open source extension, "pg_shard," that enables PostgreSQL to scale large datasets and operational workloads. "PostgreSQL continues to grow as one of the most popular databases in the world," said Umur Cubukcu, CEO and co-founder of Citus Data. "With pg_shard, CitusDB is making PostgreSQL horizontally scale in a simple way, while keeping the benefits of a mature, open ecosystem, and taking its relational advantages to the next level."
Posted December 04, 2014
Shunryu Suzuki, in his classic book, Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind, tells us that in the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's mind there are few. Both a beginner's and an expert's perspective have value, but bias toward either an expert or a beginner approach seems to consume an organization far too often.
Posted December 03, 2014
The introduction of increased transactional capability into non-relational databases makes sense—in the same way that providing SQL layers on top of Hadoop and many other non-relational stores makes sense. But it does raise the possibility of convergence of relational and non-relational systems. After all, if I take a non-relational database and add SQL and ACID transactions, have I still got a non-relational database, or have I come full circle back to the relational model?
Posted December 03, 2014
Delayed durability offers something that many SQL Server professionals have wanted for years—the ability to disable transaction logging. Why turn off the transaction log? You can accelerate performance in a lot of situations where you do NOT need transactional consistency.
Posted December 03, 2014
Lock contention issues can be frustrating problems to investigate and debug. Before blaming the database system (as is the usual response), there are a few questions to consider that can help identify the cause of the locking problems.
Posted December 03, 2014
With the new tools available that allow companies to monitor database resources, pinpoint the root cause of problems, speed up applications, and prevent crashes, some may wonder if companies will need DBAs at all in the future. However, the risk to DBAs and technology professionals as a whole is not that their jobs are going away, but that they may opt to not take the time to understand and use the tools and technologies that will allow them to be better professionals. This can place them at a disadvantage to their peers and curtail their ability to add value to the organization, therefore limiting their careers.
Posted December 03, 2014
Exploding data assets and the need for greater agility are helping to drive the move to virtualization. More than two-thirds of organizations in a recent Unisphere Research survey among members of the Independent Oracle Users Group indicate that the number of Oracle databases they manage is expanding. At the same time, many managers admit that their IT departments are sluggish when it comes to responding to new business requirements. For more than 50% of organizations, it takes their IT department 30 days or more to respond to new initiatives or deploy new solutions. For one-quarter of organizations, it takes 90 days or more.
Posted December 03, 2014
Kore Technologies' Kourier Integrator has helped improve Rockland Community College's speed and accuracy when it comes to its database performance. Kourier Integrator is Kore's flagship enterprise integration and data management suite with extract, transform, and load (ETL) and enterprise application integration capabilities (EAI).
Posted December 03, 2014
Oracle has introduced its latest-generation NAS storage system, Oracle ZFS Storage ZS4-4. Co-engineered with Oracle Database 12c, Oracle ZFS Storage ZS4-4 enables analytics for pluggable databases.
Posted December 03, 2014
EnterpriseDB, a provider of enterprise-class Postgres products and database compatibility solutions, has released a new Postgres extension to connect MySQL and Postgres databases, giving end users the ability to get more value from their data by combining systems for a single view.
Posted December 03, 2014
DBmaestro, a provider of DevOps for database solutions, has announced the availability of an open application programming interface (API), enabling customers and developers to connect to any release management system and continuous delivery product. According to the vendor, DBmaestro TeamWork will now automate and integrate with IBM, Microsoft, CA and others, allowing any release management manufacturer to offer database build and deploy automation and adding functionality to its product.
Posted December 02, 2014
Syncsort has announced the latest release of its flagship mainframe software product - Syncsort MFX for z/OS - which exploits IBM's zHPF architecture, the most recent advance in optimizing mainframe I/O for storage devices.
Posted November 24, 2014
KidoZen, a provider of mobility solutions, has added data visualization to its next-generation enterprise mobile app platform. "Every month almost 7 billion mobile devices access more than 1.5 exabytes of data," said Jesus Rodriguez, CEO of KidoZen. "Visualizing that data is not easy today, yet it is critical to enhancing the user experience and delivering on business objectives."
Posted November 24, 2014
SAP has been hard at work delivering significant enhancements to SAP ASE culminating in the release of version 16 earlier this year, and continues to make major investments in new capabilities. A webcast on Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2014, at 11 am ET/ 8 am PT will present an overview of the key features and roadmap for ASE 16.
Posted November 20, 2014
Early bird registration for the ISUG-TECH 2015 conference in Atlanta is now open. The conference will be held March 29 - April 2, 2015, at the Hilton Atlanta in Atlanta, Georgia.
Posted November 20, 2014
Bradmark Technologies, a provider of database management solutions and a reseller of SAP database and solutions, has expanded its North American reseller agreement with SAP. Bradmark has now also become an SAP channel partner authorized to resell SAP database products in the United Kingdom. Under this agreement, Bradmark will offer SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise (SAP ASE), SAP IQ database software, SAP Replication Server, and the SAP HANA platform to its existing customers and prospects through its direct sales force and marketing campaigns in the North America and the UK.
Posted November 20, 2014
Progress is partnering with DataStax, which offers production-certified Apache Cassandra for the enterprise, to provide customers with data connectivity and integration solutions. The companies say the partnership is the result of increased demand from both Progress DataDirect and DataStax customers for a standards-based solution that allows Cassandra to integrate with existing IT processes and systems, including BI, analytics and ETL.
Posted November 20, 2014
Oracle has introduced a new release of its developer tool suite, Solaris Studio, with enhanced analysis tools and support for the latest programming language standards. "Oracle Solaris Studio engineers work closely with the Oracle Solaris and SPARC design teams to ensure the compilers generate the best possible code for Oracle servers," said Don Kretsch, senior director, Software Development, Oracle.
Posted November 19, 2014
Oracle has announced an updated version of Oracle GoldenGate 12c. With GoldenGate 12c, customers can implement real-time data integration and transactional data replication between on-premises and cloud environments and across a broader set of heterogeneous platforms, achieving faster time to value and a greater return from their data assets. "Inherent in the concept of integration is that we can effectively cover both like and unlike platforms, and that we offer our customers the ability to effectively capture and move their data regardless of which systems, platforms, and vendors their data originates from," said Jeff Pollock, vice president of product management at Oracle.
Posted November 19, 2014
Splice Machine today announced the general availability of its Hadoop RDBMS, a platform to build real-time, scalable applications, that incorporates new features that emerged from charter customers using the the beta offering. With the additional new features and the validation from beta customers, Splice Machine 1.0 can support enterprises struggling with their existing databases and seeking to scale-out affordably, said Monte Zweben, co-founder and CEO, Splice Machine.
Posted November 19, 2014
The increasing pressure of compliance regulations and security policies makes the deployment of high-level database protection a must-have for any organization. For those looking for ways to advance database security, here are 5 SQL Server best practices to maintain database security and streamline compliance.
Posted November 12, 2014
The holiday season is right around the corner, a time for cheer and goodwill towards men. That got me thinking about the whole "most wonderful time of the year" tune playing in the background and how that has some special implications for the SQL Server world. Here's a bit of context: I'm writing this article for you in the midst of the biggest gathering of SQL Server professions in any given year, the PASS Summit. One of the most visible activities when attendees get together for the very first time at the registration desk or the assembly hall for the first keynote address is the huge number of hugs, backslapping, fist bumps, high fives, and a variety of other happy and genuine reunions.
Posted November 12, 2014
Big data tool vendors try to downplay the notion that data warehouses and data marts still need to exist, even in a big data world. Relational DBMSs are painted as "old-fashioned," "yesterday," and "inadequate." They beckon potential customers to take a dip in the refreshing data lake. The fact that big data, in all of its glory, is only part of a larger business intelligence solution is getting lost in the dialog.
Posted November 12, 2014
Designing an appropriate set of indexes can be one of the more troubling aspects of developing efficient relational database applications. Perhaps, the most important thing you can do to assure optimal application performance when accessing data in a relational/SQL database is to create the correct indexes for your tables based on the queries your applications use. Of course, this is easier said than done. With the caveat that appropriate index creation can be complicated, let's look at the top 10 steps to building the right indexes on your tables.
Posted November 12, 2014
DBmaestro, a provider of DevOps for database solutions, has introduced TeamWork 4.5, which adds impact analysis for database deployment with SQL Server, in addition to its existing support for Oracle.
Posted November 11, 2014
Attunity Ltd. has expanded its Attunity CloudBeam solution to support Amazon Web Services customers in moving data from Amazon Relational Database Service (Amazon RDS) to Amazon Redshift. Attunity has also been awarded Big Data Competency status in the AWS Partner Network (APN) Competency Program.
Posted November 11, 2014
Cloudant, an IBM company, has introduced an on-premises version of Cloudant software that companies can install in their own data centers to run their own DBaaS. According to the company, the addition of Cloudant Local (IBM Cloudant Data Layer Local Edition), provides customers with a strategy for managing application data with any mix of infrastructure and deployment strategy.
Posted November 10, 2014
A new IOUG report, "DBA-Security Superhero, 2014 IOUG Enterprise Data Security Survey," makes the case that database security has risen to a top business challenge and now is the time for DBAs to take on a leadership role along with security professionals to enforce data privacy, protect against insider threats, and address regulatory compliance requirements.
Posted November 05, 2014
The Oracle Cloud Marketplace, a one-stop shop for Oracle customers to locate business applications from Oracle partners that leverage the Oracle Cloud platform, has extended its offerings to include consulting and implementation services from more than 100 system integrators (SIs), including Capgemini, Deloitte, and Infosys.
Posted November 05, 2014
At the most fundamental level, consider that at the end of the day NoSQL and SQL are essentially performing the same core task — storing data to a storage medium and providing a safe and efficient way to later retrieve said data. Sounds pretty simple — right? Well, it really is with a little planning and research. Here's a simple checklist of 5 steps to consider as you embark into the world of NoSQL databases.
Posted November 05, 2014
Attunity recently introduced the next generation of Attunity Maestro, its global-scale information flow management platform, to enable management and monitoring of its updated Attunity Replicate for Oracle.
Posted November 05, 2014
Azul Systems, a provider of Java runtime solutions, and DataStax, which provides DataStax Enterprise (DSE) built on Apache Cassandra, have formed a partnership to allow DSE customers to leverage Azul Zing. According to the companies, Zing is the best JVM for real-time Cassandra deployments, allowing Cassandra to operate more consistently by eliminating JVM-caused response time delays.
Posted November 03, 2014
Melissa Data, a provider of global contact data quality and data enrichment solutions, has added global email, global phone verification, and U.S. property data enrichment services to its flagship Data Quality Components for SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS), a suite of custom data cleansing transformation components for Microsoft SSIS.
Posted October 30, 2014
Percona, which provides enterprise-grade MySQL Support, consulting, training, managed services, and server development service, will be hosting Percona Live 2014 in London from November 3 to 4.
Posted October 29, 2014
VMware has acquired the assets of Continuent. The Continuent team is joining VMware's Hybrid Cloud Business Unit. The acquisition offers "concrete benefits" to Continuent customers, said Robert Hodges, CEO of Continuent.
Posted October 29, 2014
IBM and Microsoft are working together to provide their respective enterprise software on Microsoft Azure and IBM Cloud. As part of the deal, IBM and Microsoft will make key IBM middleware such as WebSphere Liberty, MQ, and DB2 available on Microsoft Azure. In turn, Windows Server and SQL Server will be offered on IBM Cloud.
Posted October 27, 2014
IBM announced that the third quarter of 2014 was a difficult one for the company, buffeted by both economic and technology forces. Net income for the period was down 17% from the same period in 2013, $3.5 billion compared with $4.1 billion. The declines were seen across all of IBM's product lines, including mainframes.
Posted October 27, 2014
At SAP TechEd & d-code, SAP announced new innovations for the latest release of SAP HANA, the fall update of SAP HANA Cloud Platform, and a new SAP API Management technology.
Posted October 22, 2014
SAP SE has announced the SAP Cloud for Planning solution, an enterprise performance management (EPM) solution designed around user experience and built for the cloud. The SAP Cloud for Planning solution will be built natively on SAP HANA Cloud Platform, the in-memory platform-as-a-service (PaaS) from SAP.
Posted October 22, 2014
SAP and BI provider Birst have formed a partnership to provide analytics in the cloud on the SAP HANA Cloud Platform. This collaboration intends to bring together the next-generation cloud platform from SAP with Birst's two-tier data architecture to provide instant access to an organization's data and help eliminate BI wait time.
Posted October 22, 2014
SolarWinds Database Performance Analyzer 9.0 (formerly Confio Ignite) provides database administrators and their IT teams with visibility across the application stack, and now covers storage resources, in addition to database, server, and virtualization resources, to speed identification of application performance bottlenecks and improve end user experience.
Posted October 22, 2014