DBTA E-EDITION
August 2026
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Trends and Applications
Data mesh and data fabric caught the attention of data leaders in the early 2020s as a compelling way to retain and deliver information across highly disparate enterprises. Then AI came into the picture in a big way, overshadowing the time and attention devoted to mesh and fabric. Lately, because data-hungry AI systems demand a seamless flow of information, there has been a resurgence of interest in the flexibility that mesh and fabric provide. To meet this need, mesh and fabric are being layered together, rather than being categorized as differing approaches to data decentralization.
Virtualization environments are in a state of flux. With many companies moving away from VMware, the longtime foundational vendor for corporate virtualization initiatives, new approaches, such as cloud services and multi-hypervisors, are in play. The move to next-generation virtualization approaches is gaining urgency, as AI becomes a crucial part of corporate strategies.
Columns - DBA Corner
Database professionals have long understood that applications live or die by the quality of the data used to test them. Yet test data management (TDM) has historically been handled as a secondary concern. It is usually approached manually, in an inconsistent way, and frequently rushed. In an era of agile development, DevOps, and continuous delivery, this approach is no longer viable. At the center of modern TDM is a capability that DBAs can no longer afford to ignore: flexible provisioning.
Columns - SQL Server Drill Down
Autonomous, everyday workflows; streamlined inter-team collaboration; and time given back to humans for business-focused initiatives are just a few agentic AI benefits becoming clearer each day. Unfortunately, these advantages have tempted some to give agentic AI more "agency" than it deserves, leading to the ultimate replacement of human employees.
Columns - Emerging Technologies
I am on assignment at Gent & Associates' executive search department looking at the hidden role of data parsing in modern recruiting. For decades, the resume was a simple storytelling document—a 1-page narrative of who you were, what you had done, and why you were worth hiring. Today, that world is gone.