DBAs and IT operational teams, pressured by the unabated flow of data streaming in from an ever wider range of sources, require proactive self-managing and automated systems to supplement or replace manual techniques and processes which are no longer scalable given the rate of data growth, according to the results of a new Independent Oracle Users Group (IOUG) study on database manageability.
With input from 445 member respondents from within the IOUG community, the survey finds that forward-looking companies, led by Oracle technologists and DBAs, are meeting their growing data management challenges by employing more advanced database management policies. This survey was conducted by Unisphere Research, a division of Information Today, Inc., in partnership with Oracle Corporation. Among the key findings are that more than one-third of respondents indicate their companies' data stores are increasing at a rate greater than 20% a year, and, the survey finds, this growth is a main contributor to many of the difficulties DBAs currently face.
According to the survey, some DBAs still use legacy practices to address or prevent unplanned downtime, whether by manual database tuning or hardware provisioning. In addition, one out of five administrators take little or no action to prevent unplanned outages; and there are also some DBAs who attempt to address system problems by denying users access to business applications until a problematic situation is better understood and under control.
The faster the data growth, the stronger a company's inclination to adopt methodologies and proactive solutions that provide enhanced database manageability, the survey finds.
The IOUG study concludes with recommendations for IT executives, IT operations and database managers to review and consider as part of a comprehensive approach to alleviate the management burdens of rapidly expanding data environments. As more organizations are challenged by the surge of data, the study notes, the need for proactive database management practices, techniques, and technology is paramount.
The executive summary of the research report, "Managing the Rapid Rise in Data Growth: 2011 IOUG Survey on Database Manageability." is publicly available from the IOUG here.
IOUG members can access the full report on the same web page by logging in.