Database Technology Trends

Everywhere we turn this year, we see database technology companies continuing to grow and expand with new offerings for improving computer systems to help you support your company’s important business decisions.

This month’s newsletter describes 3 database technologies that offer new promise for improving performance: Sybase® ASE 15.7, Sybase® IQ 15.4, and Microsoft SQL Server® 2012 RC0.

On September 13th this year, Sybase announced availability of Sybase® Adaptive Server Enterprise® (ASE) 15.7. This is exciting news for our database community. According to Carl Olofson, research vice president at IDC, "Sybase has made significant enhancements to optimize data storage and increase developer productivity in ASE 15.7." "These new features . . . add to ASE’s already impressive total cost of ownership."

ASE 15.7 (the most feature-rich release in their history), is offering many new capabilities. Some of the most important ones include:

• Analyzing Dynamic Parameters
• Compressing Data in Adaptive Server
• Creating Non-materialized, Non-null Columns
• Cursor changes
• ERP certification on Sybase ASE
• Expanded Variable-Length Rows
• Fully Recoverable DDL
• Large objects changes
• Like Pattern matching changes
• Nested select statement enhancements
• New Adaptive Server Kernel
• New security features
• Retaining monitoring data
• Select for update changes

For more detailed information, see Sybase’s full feature list at:

http://www.sybase.com/detail?id=1094783 .

Sybase has also launched the new version of the Sybase IQ high performance column-based analytics database. Sybase IQ® 15.4 is addressing the new generation of Big Data. DBA’s and database developers can use this version to store large amounts of unstructured data, and web log information. Sybase tells us we’ll be able to use a "have it your way" approach.

Some new capabilities to consider are: a native MapReduce API, Predictive Model Markup Language (PMML) support, and integration with Hadoop. You will be able to federate a query between IQ and Hadoop. The new APIs will allow developers to implement in-database algorithms with greater performance results.

PMML capabilities will work with predictive models in industry-standard analytics tools, and then be able to automate their execution in Sybase IQ. These features can also be combined with text and multimedia analytics, using a range of techniques for analyzing big data.

Some other advantages with this new version are:

• New Java API and new extensions to the C++ APIs, allows implementation of high performance proprietary or certified ISV algorithms in-database.
• In-database analytics simulation environment eases development and testing.
• Compression of text data works well with other big data scenarios.
• Faster bulk loading of large data sets works through ODBC and JDBC interfaces

For more details on Sybase IQ 15.4 see Sybase’s what’s new datasheet at:

http://www.sybase.com/detail?id=1095620.

Microsoft announced SQL Server 2012 Release Candidate (RC0) last month, with its Cloud offerings.

There are three main SQL Server 2012 editions – Enterprise, BI (Business Intelligence), and Standard. Microsoft is still offering Web Developer and Express versions of SQL Server 2012.

At Dobler Consulting we’re seeing some exciting new features with this version:

Cloud Advantages

• SQL Server Data Tools
• Data-tier Application Component (DAC) parity and increased object support with SQL Azure
• SQL Azure DataSync
• Support for OData

Mission Critical Abilities

• SQL Server AlwaysOn
• ColumnStore Index
• User Defined Roles
• Distributed Replay

Breakthrough Insight

• Power View Web-based Data Visualizations
• BI Semantic Model
• Data Quality Services
• Migrate PowerPivot models into SSAS

Our conclusion . . . Sybase and Microsoft are offering us innovative and exciting new ways to manage our database systems and improve performance.

Download SQL Server 2012 RC0 via this link:

http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=28145 .

This is a re-print of an ISUG announcement from a couple of weeks ago by Mike Harrold:

The International Sybase User Group, an independent association that represents thousands of users of Sybase products in more than 60 countries around the world, is pleased to announce the appointment of Peter Dobler as ISUG Partner Director.

Speaking on the news of his recent appointment, Peter said, “Partners are a very important support structure for any member organization, especially for ISUG. A strong and active partner structure will provide extra benefits for the ISUG members and in return the partners will gain market presence and recognition. This is a win-win situation for both the ISUG partners and the ISUG members. Dedicating more resources and attention to the partner program will benefit everybody.”

Go to the ISUG website at http://www.isug.com

Please join us on August 11th for our next meeting “The Future of PowerBuilder” which will include a PowerBuilder roadmap update, technical presentations from versions 12.5 and beyond, and a round-table focus group session on PowerBuilder strategy.

Our meeting will begin with an opportunity to network with your peers, followed by some brief introductions and any business the group needs to conduct. Then we’ll move swiftly to the first of our technical presentations delivered by Sybase Rockstar, Dave Fish who will be LIVE in person!

PowerBuilder 12.5 has a lot of new features for both .NET and Win32 developers. In this session Dave will demonstrate the new .NET targets for PowerBuilder Assemblies, WCF Services, and Custom Visual User Objects (CVUOs) as .NET Assemblies. John will also demonstrate several new WPF DataWindow enhancements, and how PowerBuilder applications can call RESTful web services. Win32 developers will learn how they can update the look of their applications with new DataWindow enhancements as well as see new features for PowerBuilder Classic controls.

Up next will be Sue Dunnell, the PowerBuilder Product Manager who will present the roadmap for PowerBuilder with focus on the soon-to-be-released PowerBuidler 12.5 as well as the next release (tentatively 15) and beyond. As part of this session, Dave will give a sneak preview of enhancements planned for PowerBuilder 15, including the HTML5 DataWindow, and Dockable window support for Win32 PowerBuilder applications.

Afterwards we’ll have a round-table discussion about PowerBuiler. This session is aimed at all PowerBuilder users and is your chance to share your thoughts about the current direction for PowerBuilder and to give direct feedback to the PowerBuilder Product Manager on how Sybase can better position Sybase for the future.

Sue will also be available following this for individual one-on-one/small group sessions where you can sit down with her to discuss PowerBuilder needs that are specific to your business (and perhaps confidential). These are a great opportunity for your management to talk directly to the PowerBuilder product manager! You can register for one-on-sessions during the meeting registration process.

This event is free to all attendees.

When & Where

Thursday, August 11th 2011

3:30 Networking
4:00 Introductions, group business
4:15 PowerBuilder 12.5, PowerBuilder Classic – Dave Fish
5:45 PowerBuilder roadmap; v15 enhancements – Sue Dunnell / Dave Fish
6:30 PowerBuilder round-table
7:30 Individual sessions
8:00 Meeting concludes

Click here to RSVP

At: Dobler Consulting
8270 Woodland Center Blvd
Tampa, FL 33614

Click here for directions

Please consider to upgrade your ISUG membership. This will allow us to fly in high quality speakers to present in person and interact with you directly.

For our out of town friends:

The live meeting link will be provided through the official ISUG registration process. Please check the confirmation email for the live meeting link.