Tag: Databases

What is Self-Service Business Intelligence (BI)?

The Definition of Self-Service BI and its Benefits Self-service BI, or self-service business intelligence, is a technological approach that allows business users to access, analyse and visualise data independently without requiring the technical expertise or assistance of a data analyst or IT professional. It empowers individuals or teams to create their own reports, analyse data […]

What is Data Federation?

Understanding Data Federation Data Federation is a technique that entails combining data from disparate sources to create an all-inclusive, unified view. This method is part of the broader scope of data integration and is an essential aspect of effective information management.  The principle behind data federation is to provide a consolidated, logical, and virtual representation […]

Data Virtualisation Explained

What is data virtualisation? Data virtualisation is a process that allows an application to retrieve and manipulate data without needing to know its technical details, such as how it’s formatted or where it’s physically located. It provides a single interface where detailed, structured, and up-to-date data can be obtained in real time from multiple sources. […]

What is Data Integration? Approaches

The Problems with Traditional Data Integration Approaches In the past, businesses relied heavily on monolithic architectures for data management. These traditional data integration approaches had several shortcomings. The most significant was the difficulty of managing and integrating large volumes of data from disparate sources. This is because monolithic architectures often struggle with scalability, leading to […]

The Best Data Replication Strategies

Understanding Data Replication Data replication is a critical process that involves copying or synchronising data between two or more computers or storage devices.  This process is integral to any data management or protection strategy, ensuring data is readily available and protecting against potential data loss.  Data replication also plays a crucial role in improving the […]

What is Change Data Capture? (CDC)

What is Change Data Capture (CDC)? Change Data Capture (CDC) is a widely applied design pattern in data warehousing that identifies, captures, and delivers changes made in the source database to downstream systems.  As a process, CDC is imperative in capturing only the changes made to the data, reducing the resources required to reflect these […]

ETL vs ELT: What’s the Difference?

Understanding the Difference: ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) vs ELT (Extract, Load, Transform) In the landscape of data analytics and big data, understanding the optimal ways to move, transform, and manage data is crucial. Two key processes—ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) and ELT (Extract, Load, Transform)—have emerged as central methodologies for handling data in business environments.  While […]

Data Warehousing vs. Data Lakes

Data Warehousing Data warehousing is a significant aspect of big data, and it plays a crucial role in ensuring that essential information is stored and managed efficiently.  Data warehousing involves collecting and managing data from diverse sources into one common repository. It is designed to facilitate data retrieval and analysis.  The primary objective of data […]

Advantages of Data Analytics and Business Intelligence

What is Data Analytics? In the world of business, data is king. Data analytics, a key aspect of data science, examines, cleans, transforms, and interprets data to extract useful information, make informed decisions, and support organisational decision-making. Data analytics leverages statistical techniques, technology, and algorithms to uncover patterns, correlations, and trends in complex data sets. […]