Database Blog

• Fast and Simple: Use Cases for noSQL Database Technology

  May 9, 2013 / Posted By:Robert Buda

  The relational database has ruled information technology sectors for decades. Ask any analyst, report writer, or database admin about day-to-day issues, and they are likely to recount headache-filled hours spent on joins and query troubleshooting. Although NoSQL technology is not about to replace the reigning data champion, NoSQL is being leveraged across multiple applications and enterprises … Continue reading Fast and Simple: Use Cases for noSQL Database Technology

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• Total System Failure: Why you should validate your database backup

  Apr 23, 2013 / Posted By:Robert Buda

  Every now and then things happen that make us realize how important double checking things can be. I had a recent experience in which four unrelated parties (including me) did the wrong thing regarding one business transaction. If any one of us had done the right thing, there would have been no problem. But all … Continue reading Total System Failure: Why you should validate your database backup

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• Database Downtime: Prepare For The Unexpected

  Jan 21, 2013 / Posted By:Robert Buda

  Test your Assumptions: Database Backup and Recovery Every now and then something happens that really drives home the need to test and validate the assumptions that we have about the availability of our IT assets. I had an experience this week that brought to mind the importance of testing backup and recovery and business continuity plans. … Continue reading Database Downtime: Prepare For The Unexpected

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• Relational Database Design: It’s All About The Set

  Dec 5, 2011 / Posted By:Robert Buda

  The Lost Science of Relational Algebra and Set Theory. I originally wrote this post in 2011. Much has changed in the database technology landscape since then. Big Data Technologies such as Hadoop have gone mainstream, cloud technology and is changing how and where we think about hosting our databases. But relational databases are still relied upon … Continue reading Relational Database Design: It’s All About The Set

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• Query Rewrite: What is MySQL Doing To My Queries?

  Nov 30, 2011 / Posted By:Robert Buda

  The Impact of Query Rewrite on MySQL Query Optimization When processing a query, every relational database vendor takes a number of similar steps to parse, validate, and optimize a query. MySQL does the following: Validates the query syntax — does it use valid operators, are the clauses in the proper order, etc. Validates the query … Continue reading Query Rewrite: What is MySQL Doing To My Queries?

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• Database Security: Is Your Database Vulnerable To Internal Attack?

  Nov 15, 2011 / Posted By:Robert Buda

  Enforcing Least Privilege To Enhance Database Security The principle of least privilege refers to the practice of ensuring that each individual has only the privilege and access that is necessary to perform their job function. In most IT shops that run an Oracle database, there are a group of individuals that need administrative access to the operating system and … Continue reading Database Security: Is Your Database Vulnerable To Internal Attack?

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• Database Security Issues in the Cloud, Part 2: Regulatory Compliance

  Aug 26, 2011 / Posted By:Robert Buda

  As the number of databases moving to public, private and hybrid cloud computing infrastructure increases, security concerns are a significant and growing problem. Organizations will do well to scrutinize the security practices of cloud providers and other third parties that store their data. But wherever databases are running, responsibility for the security and integrity of … Continue reading Database Security Issues in the Cloud, Part 2: Regulatory Compliance

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• Advantages and Disadvantages of Disk-based Backup and Recovery

  Jul 14, 2011 / Posted By:Robert Buda

  While tape-based backup approaches may still be optimal for long-term data retention, more and more database storage/backup administrators are moving from tape to disk technology for everyday data backup and recovery. This is not surprising as disk is faster to write to and faster to recover from, as well as more reliable overall. A further … Continue reading Advantages and Disadvantages of Disk-based Backup and Recovery

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• Why I Avoid Database Hints: a followup

  Jun 21, 2011 / Posted By:Robert Buda

  In an earlier blog post about database hints, I gave a number of reasons why I dont like to use hints in SQL queries. Today I wanted to follow up to share one situation where I think hints are OK, even necessary. As described very well in an article in an article by Andrew Kelly … Continue reading Why I Avoid Database Hints: a followup

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• Secure The Database, Inside and Out

  Jun 9, 2011 / Posted By:Robert Buda

  It has been a relatively short time since I wrote my last post on database security but so many breaches have occurred since then that it seems like much longer. In just the past few months, Sony’s gaming system was shut down for two weeks, a nuclear facility in Iran was physically damaged by nefarious code … Continue reading Secure The Database, Inside and Out

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