It’s imperative businesses plan strategically ahead for the future. Combine that with the myriad of choices a database professional or arcitecht has when it comes to future proofing their business.
Mike King, enterprise technologist of big data at Dell EMC, covered a variety of databases, unique advantages and disadvantages of each, usage, tidbits, strategy, and more during his presentation titled “Crafting Your Database Strategy for the Future” at Data Summit 2017.
Companies need to develop a database strategy to control expenses, lower costs, shape investments, avoid or mitigate obsolescence, leverage new innovation by others, competitive advantage, improve agility and time to market, and facilitate skills reuse.
The different types of databases that exist include network, hierarchical, relational, object oriented, NoSQL, NewSQL, and XML.
The key components of a database strategy include capabilities, needs, goals, inventory, gaps, current state, future state, transitions, drivers, exogenous variables, macro, micro, trends, contingencies, action items, and overlap.
King gave a list of recommended actions for users to get the most out of crafting their database strategy. This includes:
- Max one NoSQL DB per type
- Good RDBMS DBAs make great NoSQL DBAs
- Use solr or ES to index both NoSQL & Hadoop
- Build & use a data catalog
- If you’re not doing ILM start now
- Limit choice
- Plan for the replacement of each db technology
- Have a plan B before you need it
To build your own database strategy, King recommended:
- Inventory your db assets
- Understand your spend by vendor & the trends
- Document your strengths (capabilities)
- Eliminate redundancy in both technology & data
- Question any overlap
- Establish a COE to cultivate your B.D. practice.
- Keep that list of 2nd place choices.
- Create a knowledge base (think wiki)
- Review & socialize your plan w/ key stakeholders
Many conference presentations have been made available by speakers at www.dbta.com/datasummit/2017/presentations.aspx.