DBTA E-EDITION
May 2020
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Trends and Applications
Business and IT have, in the past, used times of crisis to adapt and transform themselves for the better. While the COVID-19 pandemic has undeniably had a devastating effect on business, and life itself, it may also be a catalyst for change, compelling organizations to rethink their long-term operations and spending amidst the short-term crisis brought on by the health emergency. Industry leaders recently discussed what "the new normal" may look like.
What more companies need today is a "data lab" to create ideas from data and a "data factory" to turn those ideas into products. Google, Amazon, and other data-driven giants already work like this. So should companies outside of technology.
Informed business decisions are backed by data and the actionable insights workers are able to glean from various datasets. However, if you're a data steward, data engineer, data scientist, analyst, or anyone else requesting data to answer important business questions, the easy access to people with data and data context is suddenly and indefinitely gone.
In almost every organization, databases are where the most valuable information resides. Databases have lots of sensitive data in a concentrated form that is specifically designed to be easy to search and analyze. That makes databases a high-value target for bad actors and increases the priority for most organizations to secure the database.
Columns - Database Elaborations
One creates the potential for some interesting anomalies when building a star schema wherein the fact table contains future-dated metrics and any of the dimensions are Type 2. A Type 2 dimension tracks changes to the data items contained within it. Effectively, each dimension contains a surrogate key, a natural key with a start and stop date, and additional descriptor columns. If any of the descriptor column values change, the existing dimension row has the stop date populated while a new row is inserted with the same natural key, new start date, and new descriptor values.
Columns - DBA Corner
As a database consultant, one of the things I am most frequently asked about is dealing with database locking issues. Every DBMS has different settings and parameters to control locking at the system and database levels. And, yes, it is important to set these up correctly, but they are rarely the core cause of performance problems caused by locking. So let's focus on the universal issue that is almost always the culprit: poor coding techniques and inappropriate oversight before code is moved to production.
Columns - MongoDB Matters
To predict how MongoDB may navigate COVID-19 and post COVID-19 environment would require an ability to predict how our industry as a whole will fare—which is a big ask. Nevertheless, let's give it a shot.
MV Community
Smyth Automotive provides full-service automotive parts, paint and body, and machine shop services. In business since 1963, the company differentiates itself with knowledgeable, helpful and friendly staff, better prices and great quality.
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many companies to switch to remote work and BlueFinity is assisting companies with the transition. Its Evoke product allows citizen developers (the company's existing staff) to build business apps using low-code, drop and drag, point and click; and option select methods.
As the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, several companies have been instrumental in providing tools to promote remote workplace safety. Rocket Software is among the organizations that reacted swiftly when shelter in place orders were announced.