The creativity of some hackers and malicious actors is just amazing. There is a new bit of malware out there now that highlights some new approaches that I think we’ll start to see more of, and at the same time, incorporates SQL Server, which (at least since some infamous older issues) hasn’t been the specific key component of issues for […]
Editorials
SQL Server instance growth, management
I was reading an interesting article in DBTA (April/May 2018, “The Headaches of Microsoft SQL Server Sprawl“) and it was clear that so many of us are facing some pretty significant challenges when it comes to managing SQL Server instances. Particularly true if you consider “SQL Server instances” to include your Azure instances and/or managed instances on Azure and AWS. […]
Data science includes all sorts of new opportunities
In reading through a post on eWeek about why companies aren’t adopting machine learning with their data systems in large numbers yet, it’s clear that data responsibilities are continuing to morph as companies figure out what to do with all of the information (actually, data) now that it’s being captured and retained. One of the things that has been mentioned […]
Inventory control and your databases….
No, not the “what servers do you have and what do they have on them” variety necessarily. In a previous life, inventory and point of sale systems were a focus, and one of the great things that we could nearly always point to surrounded that initial inventory of the store location – their stuff on the shelves. So many times, […]
Where to Start is Often the Question – Here’s Help
One of the bigger challenges as you get your footing with your databases and start addressing all sorts of issues of security, compliance and such – is where to start. How do you know what’s missing or needs attention when there are so many different areas that may indeed need attention? We’ve talked about all sorts of things, from encryption […]
How Do You Select Your Next Database Engine?
There are many choices for your next database project. Of course it depends somewhat on the types of information you’re working with, and the types of functionality you require. In addition, up-time requirements will likely come into play. But what if so many of the different access methods you have today were possible and you could pick the engine behind […]
GDPR: Don’t forget the AI
We’ve been working down through different systems and infrastructure and working on the different components to GDPR and having systems support what’s needed there. While it’s comprehensive in its stated goals (GDPR), it’s also quite broad and loose in defining how to get there from here. This has led to some interesting meetings and review sessions while people work to […]
Does Breaking Up a Database Make Scale Out Easier?
There are many different strategies and options for creating scalable solutions for SQL Server. Whether you’re building out solutions locally or for cloud-based environments (or both) it’s very important to think through the infrastructure requirements you have, and to understand the limitations of where you may (either now or in the future) be hosting that infrastructure. One of these areas […]
IoT – and your systems
I have been looking into best practices for IoT and allowing access (or not) to various databases and systems that we’re using for a couple of projects. There have been some interesting points that have been made that frankly hadn’t been a consideration before. Today, when you go buy (or provision) that next server, you typically look for a beefy […]
Make Sure You’re Eating the Entire Elephant
Many times you face down a big project and the old elephant analogy comes into play… “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time!” Referring of course to the fact that the way to get really big, overwhelming things done is to break them into smaller pieces (bites) and then work from there. True of any large […]