DBTA E-EDITION
December 2017
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Trends and Applications
Data is a powerful tool, but it's all too often out of reach of the very people who need it most. That is changing as the model for consuming technology and the technology itself evolves to better support the needs of companies working at the speed of digital.
There never has been a more interesting time to be involved in the data management field. Data not only has become "the new oil" but is also the catalyst that is powering organizations to new heights of success. The past year has seen the rise of powerful analytics and an embrace of new tools and platforms emerging to more effectively tap into the power that data offers. DBTA reached out to industry experts to document the most important trends shaping data management in 2018.
Breaches are becoming increasingly common as hackers gain more access to personal information such as social security numbers, credit cards, etc. Now another attack could be under way as researchers have discovered a key flaw in the WPA2 Wi-Fi encryption protocol. This flaw could allow hackers to intercept credit card numbers, passwords, photos, and other sensitive information.
In just a few months, HR departments will be flooded with a raft of new resumes from new graduates looking to enter the workforce. But next year's crop of new talent has some key differences from those in years past. They - and members of the class of 2017 before them - are widely considered to be among the first young people from Generation Z, the successor of Millennials, to enter the workforce. This generation is even more digitally savvy. In fact, they have never lived in a world without the internet, meaning not only are they comfortable with technology, they expect it at every turn.
Over the past few years, the scale, speed, and power of analytics have been dramatically transformed. The amount of data available from the internet, combined with advances in software to make use of it, has created a practice called "big data analytics." It can provide types of information that were not available in the recent past and it has the potential to do so in real-time.
Columns - Database Elaborations
No, we weren't born in a crossfire hurricane, nor schooled with a strap right across our backs; we have other crises, mixed priorities, and resourcing deficiencies to cope with. But it's all right now. In fact, it's a gas. There is little choice for those who wish to survive in the IT trade. Either one copes with an ever-changing landscape, or one moves on to another industry. Technology shops across the nation, if not across the world, are in themidst of a crisis. The only problem is that this crisis has gone on for a couple of decades or more.
Columns - DBA Corner
The importance of data to today's modern world becomes more and more clear every day. Organizations are creating, storing, gathering, and managing more data than ever before. If you are reading this article, chances are, you will agree with this statement: "You are managing more data this year than you did last year … and your organization is planning to manage even more data next year."
Columns - Quest IOUG Database & Technology Insights
In the past, user groups were the place where you would meet people interested in the same thing you were. Vendors worked with the user groups to communicate new releases, and gather feedback on beta testing and leveraged them as a source for new features. The user group had a library of information, presentations, events, and ways to interact with other users and vendors. Now, with social tools, including Facebook, Slack, and LinkedIn, and powerful search engines such as Google and Bing, the question is: Are user groups still needed? They are, and here is why.
Columns - SQL Server Drill Down
This year's PASS Summit packed more than 5,000 data professionals into the Washington State Convention Center for hardcore technical sessions covering all aspects of the Microsoft data platform. Here are some highlights.
Columns - Next-Gen Data Management
The CTO of a major database vendor recently stated at a conference that basically DBAs would soon be out of a job. The gist of the keynote was autopilot flies better than humans, autonomous cars will be safer, so why would we not do the same for our databases (remove the human error)? What is the validity of this line of thought, and how might it be implemented? What does an autonomous database look like?
Columns - Emerging Technologies
Of all modern languages, JavaScript has one of the most fascinating backstories. During the early days of the web, Netscape hired Brendan Eich to create a prototype "glue language" that could be used in conjunction with HTML to increase the interactivity of webpages. The prototype was thrown together in just 10 days and named JavaScript. However, JavaScript owes very little to Java—it is often said that JavaScript is to Java as hamburger is to ham.
MV Community
The Safety and Emergency Services, Division of Radio and Technology in Pinellas County, Florida was able to provide uninterrupted emergency service during Huricane Irma thanks to its Rocket MultiVlaue Platform. Despite the torrential rain and 90-mile-per-hour winds, the county maintained uptime for emergency response systems to more than a million residents of St. Petersburg, Clearwater, and surrounding communities.
Ongroup's MVON# platform can now horizontally scale implementations of MultiValue. MVON# gives MV# developers the tools to write software in MV, transpile to C# and run it in the .NET Common Language Runtime.
Solution4strategy recently used BlueFinity's Evoke Platform to help roll out cloud-based apps for its customers. Solutions4strategy a provider of innovative software and consultancy services serving the Australian, U.K. and U.S. markets used the platform to launch a series of business apps that is helping drive its international business expansion.