A graph database (GDB) models data as a combination of nodes (vertices) and edges (relationships) with equal importance. Businesspeople query these structures to reveal patterns and insights within the data and their associations. These would be difficult to discern from other data visualizations, such as tables, charts, and documents. Since humans naturally think by associating one concept with another, people […]
A Brief History of Data Quality
The term “Data Quality” focuses primarily on the level of accuracy possessed by the data, but also includes other qualities such as accessibility and usefulness. Some data isn’t accurate at all, which, in turn, promotes bad decision-making. Some organizations promote fact-checking and Data Governance, and, as a consequence, make decisions that give them an advantage. […]
Fundamentals of Document Databases
A document database (sometimes referred to as a “document store” or a “document-oriented database”), is a NoSQL or non-relational database. However, document databases use an index to associate “keys” with “documents,” making them more efficient at retrieving data. Unlike relational databases, document databases are not structured with a format of rows and columns, but scale […]
The Future of Data Architecture
Anthony J. Algmin believes Data Architecture is moving from a time of chaos and tangles into something more clean and organized. Speaking at the DATAVERSITY® Data Architecture Online Conference, Algmin looked at past predictions, current hot topics, and predictions for the future. He is the Founder and CEO of Algmin Data Leadership. A Quick Look […]
A Brief History of Data Management
Data Management is the organization of data, the steps used to achieve efficiency, and gather business intelligence from that data. Data Management, as a concept, began in the 1960s, with ADAPSO (the Association of Data Processing Service Organizations) forwarding Data Management advice, with an emphasis on professional training and quality assurance metrics. Data management has […]
What Is Database Management?
Database Management allows a person to organize, store, and retrieve data from a computer. Database Management can also describe the data storage, operations, and security practices of a database administrator (DBA) throughout the life cycle of the data. Managing a database involves designing, implementing, and supporting stored data to maximize its value. Database Management Systems, […]
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 […]
Graph Database vs. Document Database: Different Levels of Abstraction
“Remember that every science is based upon an abstraction. An abstraction is taking a point of view or looking at things under a certain aspect or from a particular angle. All sciences are differentiated by their abstraction.” (Fulton Sheen) Graph and document databases (aka document stores), also demonstrate this principle. A few years, graph databases […]
What Is NoSQL?
NoSQL describes a “category of databases built on non-relational technology.” Some believe it is more accurate to define NoSQL more about how the data is stored and less about how to query the database. NoSQL Databases usually fall under four main categories: Document: Stores a business subject in one structure called a document instead of breaking […]