Home Services Articles Presentations Books Speaking 2021 Social Media Database Links Contact Us

The State of Database Management: Transforming the Role of the DBA.
Big Data Quarterly, December 14, 2020.

Database administration remains an important skill as organizations continue to store and access much of their data using a database management system. But what it means to be a DBA has changed over the years.

The Changing Database Landscape.
Database Trends and Applications, December 2, 2020.

When you’ve been involved in data management as long as I have, things are definitely bound to change. And things have changed, quite a lot; this month’s DBA Corner column takes a look at some of those changes.

Expanding Role of Metadata Management, Data Quality, and Data Governance.
The Data Administration Newsletter (TDAN), December 2, 2020.

Ensuring data quality is an important aspect of data management and these days. DBAs are increasingly being called upon to deal with the quality of the data in their database systems more than ever before.

Data Gravity and Cloud Computing.
Database Trends and Applications, November 4, 2020.

As cloud adoption grows, bandwidth and data gravity will be two rival forces comprising the biggest factors influencing modern IT and computing today.

Everything is Big Data.
The Data Administration Newsletter (TDAN), October 21, 2020.

Big data is the result of a confluence of trends that includes: data growth, alternative data storage/management  (Hadoop, NoSQL), improved analytical tools, AI + machine learning, the cloud, social media, sensor-based data, and mobile computing.

The Cloud and Database Administration.
Database Trends and Applications, October 9, 2020.

Cloud computing is changing the traditional role of the DBA as cloud providers deliver some of the management services heretofore delivered by DBAs.

The Benefits of In-Memory Processing.
Planet Mainframe, September 24, 2020.

Most organizations can benefit from better usage of system memory. If you access and manipulate data in memory it is much more more efficient than doing so from disk. Learn more in this article on the benefits of in-memory.

The Expanding Role of Metadata Management, Data Quality, and Data Governance.
Database Trends and Applications, September 9, 2020.

Ensuring data quality is an important aspect of data management and these days. DBAs are increasingly being called upon to deal with the quality of the data in their database systems more than ever before.

Navigating IBM COBOL 4.2 End of Support Waters.
Cloudframe blog, August 19, 2020.

This post takes a look at the migration options and considerations available to organizations as IBM withdraws older versions of the COBOL compiler from service.

The Plight of the Modern DBA.
Database Trends and Applications, August 11, 2020.

This month’s DBA Corner column takes a high-level look into the state of modern database administration.

The Mainframe is a Modern Platform.
The Data Administration Newsletter (TDAN), July 15, 2020.

Although mainframe continue to excel at traditional tasks such as high-speed transaction processing and running large batch workloads, it also has evolved over time and can support modern computing needs.

Consider Cross-Compiling COBOL to Java to Reduce Costs.
Cloudframe blog, July 7, 2020.

Although COBOL continues to dominate mainframe application workloads, you may be able to reduce costs by cross-compiling your COBOL applications to Java.

Development DBAs versus Production DBAs.
Database Trends and Applications, July 1, 2020.

Both development and production database administration are required to support database applications. In this month’s DBA Corner column we take a look at the different job duties of both.

What is a Data Aggregration?
TechTarget, June 2020.

A definition of data aggregation with a discussion of how data aggregators work and the use cases for data aggregation.

Optimizing Mainframe Data Access.
Planet Mainframe, June 11, 2020.

As the amount of mainframe data we must manage and access grows, techniques for optimizing access to that data are crucial. This article takes a look at two IBM offerings for doing so: IBM Db2 Analytics Accelerator and IBM Z Table Accelerator.

Database Performance: Monitoring versus Management.
Database Trends and Applications, June 10, 2020.

Many DBAs attack performance in a reactive manner. But to improve their effectiveness, the goal should be to move from reactive to proactive. This means not simply monitoring, but managing performance. a high-level look into the state of modern database administrationtalks about the difference.

Automation is Key to Effective Database DevOps.
IDERA Community Blog, June 5, 2020.

Success with DevOps requires new technologies that automate the software development lifecycle (SDLC), but it also requires a shift in organizational mindset.

DevOps and Database Design and Change Management.
IDERA Community Blog, May 27, 2020.

Database change is NOT the same as application change and it needs to be managed differently. Nevertheless, it can benefit from being integrated into the DevOps toolchain in an automated, intelligent manner.

Embracing In-Memory Processing for Optimizing Performance.
Planet Mainframe, May 20, 2020.

Using in-memory techniques and products can be an effective and cost-saving measure for improving the performance of your mainframe applications.

The Mainframe is a Modern Platform.
Enterprise Systems Media, May 19, 2020.

The mainframe’s legacy stretches back more than 50 year, yet it continues to excel at traditional tasks such as high-speed transaction processing and running large batch workloads, as well as supporting modern computing needs.

Minimzing Database Lock Contention Issues.
Database Trends and Applications, May 13, 2020.

Database locking issues can be one of the most vexing causes of database and application performance problems and slowdowns. This month’s DBA Corner column offers up some guidance.

DevOps, SQL Quality, and Performance.
IDERA Community Blog, April 22, 2020.

We should look at DevOps as an opportunity to integrate SQL performance testing into our continuous delivery pipeline.

The Role of the DBA in the Application Development Process.
Database Trends and Applications, April 8, 2020.

As modern development adopts a continuous delivery approach what role should the DBA play.

Don’t let cloud exuberance stop other IT infrastructure investments.
IBM IT Infrastructure Blog, March 30, 2020.

Cloud computing is a growing component of modern IT infrastructure and it will continue to grow into the foreseeable future… but on-premises computing is not going away. Nor should it! And both need to be funded and managed.

DevOps Impact on Database Administration.
IDERA Community Blog, March 25, 2020.

Adopting DevOps has its advantages but you need to ensure that you are incorporating DBA best practices into your strategy.

The Importance of Database-Enforced Integrity.
Database Trends and Applications, March 19, 2020.

Ensuring the integrity of the organization’s databases is a key component of the DBA’s job, but integrity constraints enforced by the DBMS can go a long way toward simplifying that task.

The Data Catalog Has Risen.
The Data Administration Newsletter (TDAN), March 4, 2020.

A look at the nascent metadata management product known as the data catalog.

The Mainframe is a Modern Platform.
Database Trends and Applications, February 10, 2020.

Although the mainframe has a long and rich heritage, it is a modern computing platform that can handle over a trillion web transactions a day.

What is a ELT (Extract, Load, and Transform)?
TechTarget, January 2020.

A definition of ELT along with an explanation of the difference between ELT and ETL.

What is a DbaaS (Database-as-a-Service)?
TechTarget, January 2020.

Database as a service (DBaaS) is a cloud computing managed service offering that provides access to a database without requiring the setup of physical hardware, the installation of software or the need to configure the database.

SQL Performance Testing and DevOps.
Database Trends and Applications, January 13, 2020.

This month the DBA Corner examines DevOps from the perspective of SQL performance testing and how this crucial aspect of application development and deployment is often over-looked.

Evaluating Data Warehouse Platform Options and Your Need for One.
SearchDataManagement, January 3, 2020.

There's still a place for data warehouses in data architectures. But first, ask whether your organization needs one and what type of technology platform is the best fit.