In 1966, a DEC PDP-7 computer was delivered to the Massachusetts General Hospital without any programming. The hospital had invested in a computer but had no way to run it. At this time, there was very little in the way of software options, operating systems, or database support. The hospital did, however, have access to […]
NoSQL vs. SQL: Five Key Differences
NoSQL and SQL are the two primary forms of database used to store and manage digital data, with each providing key differences that support advantages and disadvantages. SQL deals with relational databases and NoSQL deals with non-relational databases. Both methods store data effectively but differ dramatically in their scalability, relationships, language, and database design. Understanding […]
A Brief History of the Data Warehouse
A data warehouse stores data from in-house systems and various outside sources. Data warehouses are designed to support the decision-making process through data collection, consolidation, analytics, and research. They can be used in analyzing a specific subject area, such as “sales,” and are an important part of modern business intelligence. The architecture for data warehouses was […]
It’s All About Relations!
The new ISO 39075 Graph Query Language Standard is to hit the data streets in late 2023 (?). Then what? If graph databases are standardized pretty soon, what will happen to SQL? They will very likely stay around for a long time. Not simply because legacy SQL has a tremendous inertia, but because relational database paradigms […]
Trends in Data Architecture
What role have Data Management and Data Architecture played in data-driven organizations, especially during the tumultuous and uncertain period at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic? Industry thought leader Donna Burbank, the Managing Director of Global Data Strategy, discussed these issues in her presentation Trends in Data Architecture at DATAVERSITY®’s Data Architecture Online conference last July. Burbank shared insights from a 2020 […]
The Future of Database Management Systems
As the amount of data generated globally grows exponentially, data-driven businesses are increasingly turning to more innovative database management systems to store, manage, and process all that data. This article provides an overview of database management, how it has evolved – especially during the COVID-19 pandemic – and the future of database management systems. What Is […]
What Is Unstructured Data?
Unstructured data is data that does not confine itself to a predetermined data model. This lack of structure renders it indecipherable to relational (SQL) databases. Hence, it cannot be easily used in a computer program and should be stored in its raw form in data lakes or non-relational (NoSQL) databases. According to CIO, unstructured data accounts for up to 90% […]
Exploring the Need for Modern Databases
We have reached an exciting milestone in how we harness digital technologies. The shifts forced by the pandemic have altered our behaviors and expectations around the digital services we use. As many have said, the past 20 months accelerated years of planned digitization. But it’s only starting to become evident how successful that transformation has […]
A Brief History of Data Silos
The original purpose of a data silo was to keep secrets. People have been keeping secrets for a long, long time. Prior to the written word, keeping a secret meant not sharing specific information with anyone else, verbally. And then came the written word. Secrets could be shared accidentally, or even stolen. Life became more […]
NoSQL Databases: The Versatile Solution for Continuous Intelligence
Most businesses tend to rely on relational database management systems (RDBMS) to provide business insight, including continuous intelligence. Cloud relational databases have improved computing power they bring to the table, to handle more massive amounts of data. However, relational databases, even ones in the cloud, face two issues. They have a harder time with the […]