Database Technologies
Database technology refers to any kind of technology that takes information and stores, organizes and processes it in a way that allows users to easily and intuitively go back and find the details they are looking for. Database technologies come in all shapes and sizes, from complex to simple, large to small.
Online Analytical Processing (OLAP) is a software technology that you can use to analyze business data from a variety of perspectives. Organizations collect and store data from a variety of data sources, such as websites, apps, smart meters and internal systems. OLAP aggregates and organizes this data into categories to provide actionable insights for strategic planning. OLAP databases convert table-based data sets into multidimensional arrays called Cubes to optimize data querying and retrieval. Users can then access certain dimensions of the data for analysis purposes. To answer queries, OLAP cubes typically include roll-up cells that contain aggregated data, according to certain parameters – such as sales over time, or item sales by location. This aggregation is pre-calculated while the system is “idle”. So once the query is made, the answer is already in the data cube and retrieved instantly. OLAP makes a great foundation for Business Intelligence but suffers from some limitations, such as being resource intensive, taking a long time to build, and requiring predefined queries.
An in-memory database is a purpose-built database that relies primarily on memory for data storage, as opposed to a database that stores data on a disk or SSD. In-memory data storage is designed to enable minimal response time by eliminating the need for disk access. Since all data is stored and managed exclusively in main memory, in-memory databases are at risk of data loss due to process or server failures. An in-memory database can store data on disk by saving each operation in a log or by taking a snapshot. In-memory databases are preferred for those looking for quick answers to their questions, but they come with some drawbacks, most notably scalability and cost of RAM.