While big data and the cloud have clearly arrived, the repercussions of that arrival are still being felt in the IT planning room as CIOs re-evaluate their data strategies.
Part of those discussions include the fact that the data landscape itself is shifting as vendors release new products and develop new ways of doing things, from databases as a service to in-memory analytics. If you haven’t re-evaluated your data strategy lately, here are five database developments that should have you talking:
1. Data Archiving in the Cloud
For years, data archiving has been something of an afterthought that you loaded on the cheapest, slowest hardware you had, since you just needed to store it and not access it often. And while on-premise storage continues to get cheaper, the cloud has disrupted that model. Today, many businesses are opting to archive their data in the cloud. It’s inexpensive, more highly available, easily scalable, and has features such as automated backup and built-in redundancy that make it simpler to manage.
2. 24/7 Encryption
Business data is often accessed outside the business, whether by a strategic partner or a managed services provider. Particularly in industries that are regulated by strict data compliance rules, more enterprises are looking at “always on” encryption to protect all of their data and satisfy ongoing audit requirements.
3. Embracing Non-Structured Data
You can’t read a technology blog these days without hearing that data is growing, and much of that growth is in the form of non-structured data (e.g., video, social media, etc.). This data is ripe for mining, if you have the right tools. Unfortunately, a lot of businesses don’t have a plan in place for how to analyze non-structured data alongside traditional, structured data.
The answer doesn’t have to involve Hadoop, although Hadoop is pretty awesome. You can actually manage and mine non-structured data with Microsoft products like SQL Server 2016 and Power BI these days. Understanding your data profile and determine the right tools to analyze it are key to successful analytics.
4. The Move to Linux
Big data used to be a big database play, which meant costly software and UNIX licenses. The trend today, however, is toward Linux-based servers that cost less. CIOs are looking for ways to migrate their applications onto a cheaper, Linux-based platform so they can build out their private clouds and virtual data centers without running out of budget.
5. The Rise of SQL in Big Data
The high demand for—and limited supply of—data scientists is driving some enterprises back to what they do best: SQL queries. There are a number of big data applications on the market today that support SQL queries as well as more advanced mining algorithms. The rise of SQL in big data isn’t driven so much by cost as it is the need to get big data into the hands of more business users.
While big data is becoming more commonplace, there’s still a place for experts in the picture. Bringing in an experienced partner like Rolta AdvizeX can provide the expertise you need to make sure you’re looking at the right data for answers, and using the best tools for the job. One of the new tools you should consider for big data is Microsoft’s SQL Server 2016, which has been updated to include a host of new analytics capabilities.
If you haven’t looked at SQL Server lately, ask us about running a proof-of-concept to showcase the new BI analytics and cloud features included with SQL Server 2016. ▪