Business Intelligence Lowdown

USB Ports Pose Threats

Gone are the days when organizations had to worry about data being compromised through the use of floppy disks and CDs. A new threat looms over the horizon in the form of plug and play devices that can hold a large volume of data, are portable, and can be connected in a jiffy to USB ports. Flash drives and iPods are increasingly being used as intermediate storage devices to cart around data and information. The drives pose theft risks where data can be stolen easily and malware menaces by acting as conduits to transfer viruses, Trojans, and the like.

This alarming trend is driving many companies to enforce encryption techniques and password protection methods to protect their data. Another method being used to prevent misuse of data is to monitor the usage of the USB ports. Reporting software is then used to list out what is copied onto or off a device. With hardly 10 percent of companies enforcing strict policies regarding USB port devices, there is a high probability of this avenue being used to launch security attacks and steal sensitive data.

Data Protection Pays

Continuing on the lines of my previous post where we saw how important data is to an organization, let's look at ways we can protect onsite data.

• The first step to clean data is good organization. Don't be an electronic packrat. Clean out that clutter, get rid of files and emails that you don't need.
• Constantly update your anti-virus software, spyware, and firewall on your system.
• Put in place effective procedures to encrypt and back up your data to a remote, secure location.
• Take a regular review of who has access to what data, and incorporate the authorization changes as and when they happen to prevent intentional misuse of data.
• Change your passwords randomly.
• Keep your recovery and original software disks in a safe and easily accessible place to ensure quick recovery from system crashes.

Backing Up Your Data

No matter how small or big your company is, your data is one of the most valuable assets it owns. So it makes sense that you provide it adequate protection. A good data backup solution is a sound investment in most situations. But before you spend those hard-earned dollars, make sure of what you are actually getting.

• If you are backing up your data using a service organization, find out if the process is done automatically or if you have to check if the copies have been made.
• Ensure security of your data during transfer by suitably encrypting it.
• Make sure that your backed up data is safe from threats like theft, fire, and natural disasters.
• Find out the total cost involved in the backup process.
• Know how to recover and access the data that you backed up, and just in case, keep a list of people you can call if you encounter unforeseen problems.

Deriving The Best From BI

Business intelligence has become the new buzzword in corporate circles. Even small organizations are implementing BI solutions to take more informed decisions that will in turn send their profits soaring and maximize ROI. But the question to be asked here is if enterprises are getting the foundation right before building the BI skyscraper.

The base and support of a good business intelligence solution is well-defined, good quality data. In a nutshell, these adjectives mean that data should be accurate and not be duplicated across various storage repositories. Redundant and outdated data scattered across disparate sources will effectively kill your BI system.

Good business intelligence can be derived from high-quality information, which in turn is mined from structured data. A good data resource and proper information engineering are the keys to effective decision-making using business intelligence techniques. A good data resource holds structured data that will return the most appropriate information in answer to intelligent queries.   

Information engineering determines how much information is needed to solve a particular problem, besides presenting that information in a way that facilitates easy decision-making. Different kinds of information can be drawn from the same data set. In other words, each set of data can be interpreted in multiple ways to derive different sets of information. Based on the organization's corporate policies and business plans, its BI tool and its users have to determine what information to extract from the raw data.

Data Integration Platform

A new data integration platform, Active Integration Platform (AIP), is now available from data and application integration vendor Sunopsis. AIP is a comprehensive set of products that take care of a variety of data and application integration needs. It incorporates three modules __ the Sunopsis Data Conductor that can manage a high volume of data integration requirements for data warehousing, BI, BPM, and data migration operations, the Sunopsis Event Conductor that can handle asynchronous application integration needs in event-driven architectures, and the Sunopsis Data Conductor that can perform all the necessary transformations in a database. Database Trends and Applications reports:

The Active Integration Platform is built around a persistent data and event database--the Active Integration Hub (AIH)--captures the superset of all data and business events contained in all systems linked by the Active Integration Platform. The two major features in V4.1 of the Active Integration Platform allow users to automate the processes required to create and deploy the Active Integration Hub. The Common Format Designer (CFD) is used to quickly design and create a data structure (data model) for the AIH.

Oracle SQL Developer

Database developers can now take advantage of Oracle SQL Developer (also named Project Raptor) to browse and create objects, run SQL statements and scripts, edit and debug PL/SQL code, view and update data, and build custom reports according to the needs of their development projects. The tool incorporates a code formatter and strings of code that reduce the time and effort needed to write a program.  Database Applications and Trends reports:

The tool is available for all releases of Oracle Database 10g and Oracle9i Database Release 2. Additionally, Oracle SQL Developer is certified to run against all editions of Oracle Database 10g, including Oracle Database 10g Enterprise Edition, Standard Edition, Standard Edition One, and Express Edition.

Ad-Hoc Query Builder

BI software provider MicroStrategy has added to its reporting capabilities with a new graphical interface for impromptu queries. Query Builder, which provides power users, developers, business analysts, and report consumers the ability to query operational databases without hand-coding SQL, is available with the newest release of MicroStrategy 8. Database Applications and Trends reports:

The graphical Query Builder interface makes it easy to select tables and columns and define joins visually. Power users with knowledge of the data model have vast flexibility to ask almost any type of business question with Query Builder.

Query Component for Multiple Relational Databases

A new data query service that eases access to data from multiple, relational databases is now available from data service management solutions provider MetaMatrix. The query component, MetaMatrix Query, streamlines development and maintenance of Java applications that use more than one relational database, by federating data from these repositories and optimising distributed queries. Database Trends and Applications reports:

With MetaMatrix Query, rather than having to write custom code to connect to several individual databases, extract the data and then integrate the data within the application, Java developers can embed a single data service component that handles interactions with all relevant relational databases, including a SQL query that spans multiple sources.

ERP Tops Dashboard Applications

A survey by Unisphere Media and Noetix of over 660 companies related to their usage of business intelligence dashboards has revealed that more than three fourths of them use the corporate tools with their Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. ERP was followed as the top application by accounting and finance, CRM, IT systems, and human resources. Dashboards were also found to be used a variety of applications like project performance, budgeting, and uptime and downtime for machinery. Database Trends and Applications reports:

The survey, titled The OAUG Survey on Business Intelligence Dashboards, found that corporate dashboards were emerging as the "killer" IT application for senior management, and, over time, would facilitate the breakdown of corporate data silos.

Cognos and IBM Extend Ties

Cognos and IBM are involved in a partnership through which Cognos will provide IBM's Websphere and Information Management technologies as part of the preferred reference architecture for a special edition of its BI platform, Cognos 8. As part of the alliance, both organizations will jointly develop, market and sell solutions based on Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) to help clients get the best out of their analytic capabilities. Database Trends and Applications reports:

"We have spent the last three years working with IBM to optimize our business intelligence performance management stack with IBM's middleware stack," Rupert Bonham-Carter, senior director, IBM Alliance for Cognos, explained. "IBM's middleware strategy really aligns with our principles of open standards, flexibility and agility."