There is one thing we can say for certain about the IT and computer industry – we sure love creating new terms and categories… even when, it can be argued, that we don’t need them. And even when new terms might be useful, it sure can be difficult to come to grips with them. Especially when every vendor out there tries to grab onto the new term to prove that their technology is relevant, or hot. Well, data lake is one of these “newer” terms that has been created for a new category of data store for us to create and manage. But the term is not well understood; so, just what is a data lake? Well ..read more

Today’s post will be brief… just to announce my latest book. It does have relevance to data, but only for IBM System Z mainframe shops. The book is titled: Mainframe Specialty Processors: Understanding zIIPs, Licensing, and Cost Savings on the IBM System z. And the title pretty much sums up the content of the book. But here are some more details… If you are an IT professional who works on IBM z Series mainframes, then you’ve probably heard about zIIPs and other “specialty processors.” But you may not really know what they are, what they do, and why they exist. This book will clarify the purpo ..read more

I regularly receive questions from readers and every now and then I choose one to highlight here on the blog. Today, I want to share a Q+A from a reader/student asking for guidance on things a company should consider when upgrading their DBMS… Question: I am writing a company proposal on a technical issue of my choice. Since I took a MySQL class and it may be related to my career field I thought it would be a good idea to pick “upgrading the company’s DBMS.” So my question would be, can you give me a little insight on the quality of DBMSes. Such as why choose Oracle over MySQL, and is new bran ..read more

Today’s post is a short one intended to let my readers know about the articles that I have written for Elnion on data and database related topics. First of all, what is Elnion? Elnion is a web-based research portal for IT and related technology news and information. Published by Sociaall.com, the core topics it covers include AI, cloud computing, data, the digital enterprise, telco and mobile, cybersecurity, infrastructure, automation, and supply chain. I’ve been writing for Elnion now for about 18 months or so, predominantly in the data channel. My most recent article was published this month ..read more

Last week I was proud to publish my latest database book, this time on the important topic of achieving and maintaining efficient performance for your databases and the applications that access them. Appropriately enough, this book is titled Optimizing Database Performance, and it is available now in both print and ebook formats on amazon. So I hope you will click on the links and check it out! I wrote the book to explain the many aspects of performance management that need to be addressed when dealing with database management systems. You see, even though it is generally accepted that you sh ..read more

Database performance and scalability are both important aspects of managing and optimizing databases, but they refer to different characteristics and considerations. Database performance refers to how efficiently a database system can respond to and process queries, transactions, and other operations. It is focused on the speed, responsiveness, and overall efficiency of database operations. Factors that influence database performance include: Query Optimization: Ensuring that database queries are structured and written in a way that minimizes resource usage and execution time. Indexing: Creat ..read more

Although there are many important issues that organizations are struggling with regarding data and data management these days, few would argue that securing and protecting their data is not among the most vital. With the increasing reliance on digital systems and the proliferation of sensitive data, organizations face significant challenges in protecting their databases from unauthorized access, data breaches, and cyber threats. Data breaches can lead to severe consequences, including financial losses, reputational damage, and legal repercussions. As a result, ensuring the security and privacy ..read more

As part of my job as a database consultant, I regularly keep my eyes open for interesting topics in relevant blogs and forums. Recently, one interaction caught my eye, where somebody asked what kind of a performance impact could be expected if a query was issued against two similar tables. The first table had (say) 20 columns, and the second table had the same 20 columns, as well as 35 additional columns. There were a significant number of folks providing input on the topic, but the overwhelming consensus was that as long as the query was going against the same columns then performance should ..read more

Managing database growth and scalability is crucial to ensure optimal performance and accommodate increasing data volumes. Here are some strategies to consider: Proper Database Design: Design your database schema with scalability in mind. Normalize the database structure, define appropriate relationships, and establish efficient indexing to support efficient data retrieval and manipulation. Horizontal Partitioning (Sharding): Splitting the database horizontally by distributing data across multiple servers based on a chosen partitioning scheme. This approach can help distribute the workload ..read more

The DBA is the information technology professional responsible for ensuring the ongoing operational functionality and efficiency of an organization’s databases and the applications that access those databases.  Traditionally, DBAs are reqiored to be an expert on “all things” related to a particular database management system (DBMS), such as Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, IBM Db2, or others. And that DBMS was installed on premises on physical servers. But the advent of cloud computing is changing the traditional role of the DBA as cloud providers deliver some of the management services that ..read more