Latest news with #SQLServer


National Post
6 days ago
- Business
- National Post
The underrated risk in your tech stack is a weak SQL strategy
his article was created by StackCommerce. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through our links on this page. Article content In an age when cyberattacks hit every 39 seconds — that's 2,244 attacks per day on average — organizations across Canada are urgently seeking tools to protect and manage their data infrastructure. For finance teams and business leaders, ensuring the security and integrity of databases is becoming a critical piece of the equation. That's where Microsoft SQL Server skills and the new 2025 Total Microsoft SQL Server Bundle can help. Article content It's been reported that an increase in cyber threats targeting financial institutions underscores the need for robust database administration. SQL Server remains a cornerstone technology in enterprise systems: relational databases like SQL Server are so entrenched that 49 percent of developers use them in tandem with NoSQL technologies. This means expertise not only offers career mobility but is also key to safeguarding sensitive financial data. Article content The 2025 Total Microsoft SQL Server Bundle includes five comprehensive courses: Article content SQL Server from Scratch: Learn fundamental queries, SSMS navigation and data manipulation techniques. Backup & Recovery: Build airtight restoration workflows—full, differential and transaction-log backups. Failover Clustering: Ensure high availability with Active Directory, shared disk setup and cluster services. Advanced Cluster Labs: Deep dive into resilient setup, transaction logging and SQL Server 2019 enhancements. Git & GitHub: Manage version control and collaboration across your SQL projects. Article content Article content For database administrators, IT directors or fintech entrepreneurs in Canada's thriving business ecosystem, this bundle packs both breadth and depth. Remote redundancy, disaster recovery and version control — covered in hands-on labs — offer practical skills that directly map to real-world needs such as regulatory compliance, uptime guarantees and data resilience. Article content Article content
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Caylent Accelerate™ Modernizes Legacy Databases on AWS 3x Faster with Built-In AI Automation
AI-powered solution automates up to 70% of the migration process to help enterprises modernize faster—without the risk; breaks vendor lock-in and eliminates licensing costs IRVINE, Calif., June 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Caylent, an Amazon Web Services (AWS) Premier Tier Services Partner, today announced Caylent Accelerate™, an AI-powered solution that enables organizations to modernize their legacy databases up to three times faster than previous approaches. Designed to derisk and speed up complex database migrations by moving to open source databases on AWS, Caylent Accelerate helps customers eliminate licensing costs, lower total cost of ownership, reduce risk, and unlock modern cloud-native capabilities faster. Legacy databases—especially proprietary systems—are a costly barrier to business growth. These systems account for over $200 billion in annual licensing spend and contribute to more than $2 trillion in technical debt across U.S. enterprises. However, migrations to open source alternatives are notoriously slow, manual, and error-prone, often requiring niche expertise and months of effort—factors that lead many organizations to delay the modernization necessary to innovate and scale their business. Caylent Accelerate directly addresses these challenges with a highly automated, AI-first approach that delivers a 70% reduction in manual effort. Built on Amazon Bedrock and powered by large language models (LLMs), Caylent Accelerate translates complex SQL code, maps dependencies, generates test cases, and delivers migration-ready output with expert oversight. This combination of AI and human-in-the-loop validation ensures speed, accuracy, and business continuity. Bobby Land, chief product and technology officer at Teamfront, a strategic partner for founder-led software companies, and a Caylent customer, said, "Caylent Accelerate allowed us to seamlessly migrate from SQL Server to Aurora PostgreSQL with AWS instances—with minimal disruption and immediate access to modern, scalable infrastructure. Without it, manually migrating and testing each stored procedure would have required thousands of hours of effort. Caylent Accelerate™ cut through the complexity and dramatically reduced the migration effort, achieving a time savings for us of over 90%." Unlike "lift-and-shift tools" or other traditional approaches, Caylent Accelerate fast-tracks both the technical execution and strategic outcomes of modernization. It eliminates licensing costs, shortens project timelines, and enables enterprises to consolidate technology stacks for greater operational efficiency. With seamless integration into Amazon Aurora, Amazon RDS, and Amazon Redshift, Caylent Accelerate helps organizations unlock open, scalable, AI-ready infrastructure that supports long-term growth and innovation. "We designed this solution to automate the hardest parts of database migration—from translating stored procedures to validating new code," said Lori Williams, CEO at Caylent. "With Caylent Accelerate, we're collapsing the time it takes to eliminate technical debt and freeing our customers to focus on building what's next. This is the future of services: productized expertise, purposeful automation, and a relentless focus on outcomes that scale." Caylent offers a free database modernization analysis that provides organizations with a clear view of their current environment and an AI-powered estimate of migration timelines, object complexity, and effort required. For a free assessment and to learn more about Caylent Accelerate, visit: About CaylentAs an AWS Premier Tier Services Partner, Caylent is shaping the future where AI transforms industries responsibly and with excellence. We help companies build the solutions they need to succeed in today's market while enabling organizational evolution to thrive in a rapidly changing technology landscape. Our AI-enabled delivery methodology combined with our deep AWS experience turns our customers' ideas into impact, faster. Caylent's achievements include being named AWS Migration Consulting Partner of the Year, GenAI Industry Solution Partner of the Year, and Industry Partner of the Year - Financial Services in 2024, Application Modernization Partner of the Year in 2023, AWS Innovation Partner of the Year in 2022, and AWS Rising Star Partner of the Year in 2021. Caylent's services include migrations, modernization, custom software development and generative AI. Learn more at About TeamfrontFounded in 2023 and headquartered in Austin, TX, Teamfront is a strategic partner to the founder-owned software companies that are market leaders in niche verticals. Our team, comprised of seasoned executives in vertical SaaS, provides holistic operational support, playbooks, and best practices that enable our Team Cos to achieve their visions. Our commitment is to empower software companies to thrive and succeed in their unique domains. Together, we aim to thrive on this journey of growth. Learn more at View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Caylent Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data


Techday NZ
18-06-2025
- Business
- Techday NZ
DataSentinel appoints Peter Ward to boost Australian services
DataSentinel has appointed Peter Ward as Strategic Advisor to support its expansion and service delivery in Australia. The decision comes as DataSentinel seeks to meet increasing demand for specialist data and analytics services from Australian organisations and aims to enhance its partner ecosystem across the country. Peter Ward, widely recognised in the data industry, previously established Wardy IT Solutions in 2004, growing it into a prominent SQL Server consulting and managed services provider before its acquisition by MOQdigital, an Australian Stock Exchange-listed company, in 2019. He has since held several advisory and leadership positions within the data and technology sector, including roles at MOQdigital and Dijital Team. Ward is known in professional circles as a long-term Microsoft Data Platform MVP and is regarded as a respected authority on data platform modernisation, analytics, and governance in the region. Paul Capstick, Chief Executive Officer of DataSentinel, highlighted the significance of Ward's appointment in a statement. "Peter's track record building Wardy IT Solutions into Australia's leading SQL Server consultancy, and guiding multiple technology ventures since, will be invaluable as we deepen our relationships with Australian partners and customers," said Capstick. "He understands the unique pressures IT leaders face, and how partners can bring lasting value to their customers when they're equipped with the right data expertise." The new appointment is part of DataSentinel's approach to addressing shifts in how organisations manage, govern, and capitalise on data assets. According to analysis from industry bodies, worldwide data and analytics services are forecast to exceed USD $150 billion in 2025, with Australia and New Zealand cited among the fastest-growing markets. IDC research suggests that by 2026, 80% of organisations in the Asia-Pacific region will have formal data governance frameworks in place, prompted by requirements to support artificial intelligence projects and meet stricter regulatory obligations. In this landscape, Australian businesses are facing increasing complexity. The expansion of cloud platforms, greater data volumes, and growing expectations for real-time insights are contributing to the need for specialist skills and services. Many enterprises now seek partners with a strong technology foundation and the capacity to offer both operational support and strategic guidance. Founded in New Zealand in 2019, DataSentinel has provided managed database services, consulting, and analytics support across Australasia, formalising its presence in Australia recently. The company now works with a growing base of commercial and public sector clients in both countries. DataSentinel's approach emphasises supporting IT service providers—including managed service providers, system integrators, and cloud specialists—by enabling them to deliver database and analytics solutions without developing in-house capabilities. "Partners are under pressure to broaden their services and address their customers' evolving data needs, especially as generative AI and data science become boardroom priorities," said Capstick. "By working with DataSentinel, they can tap into deep technical expertise while maintaining ownership of the customer relationship." As Strategic Advisor, Ward will collaborate closely with DataSentinel's leadership, shaping the business's Australian strategy, engaging with partners, and assisting with new service development. "I'm excited to work with DataSentinel's talented team," said Peter Ward. "Their reputation for practical, outcomes-driven database and analytics services is already resonating in Australia. Together we can help more organisations modernise their data estates and use insights to accelerate growth." The increasing reliance of businesses on data as a strategic asset brings new challenges. Many organisations confront hurdles such as shortages in specialist skills, legacy technology constraints, and a more demanding regulatory environment. "The data landscape is more complex than ever, and businesses are looking for trusted advisors who can help them navigate it," said Ward. "DataSentinel is well positioned to play that role, with a proven track record and a partner-centric model that scales." DataSentinel anticipates ongoing growth across its Australasian operations and plans to further expand its partnership network in the year ahead. The company aims to assist more Australian organisations in improving their data management, governance, and analysis capabilities in response to evolving market requirements and technological developments.


Fast Company
17-06-2025
- Fast Company
Fight against ransomware with data recovery technologies
Nowadays, ransomware attacks are becoming more and more frequent. In many cases, the hacker utilizes ransomware to encrypt your important data, and then asks for some money in exchange for decrypting that data. But there is no guarantee that the hacker will decrypt the data after receiving your money. Instead, we can utilize advanced data recovery technologies to fight against the ransomware attacks. WHY DATA RECOVERY WORKS There are several reasons why data recovery works, as below: 1. Original Data May Still Exist When ransomware encrypts an important file and deletes the original one, the data of the original file may still exist on the hard drive. In such a case, we can use a raw level data recovery tool to scan the whole hard drive to recover these unencrypted data. This is called file carving technology. Some tools can even target a specific file type and size, which improves the accuracy and reduces the time. 2. Parts Of The Data May Not Be Encrypted The purpose of ransomware is to make a file unusable so that you feel compelled to pay the hacker. In modern computer systems, there are many huge files. For example, SQL Server MDF files are normally several GBs, and some can even reach hundreds of GBs. In such a case, ransomware may not encrypt the whole file, but only the file header, because: Encrypting a huge file will consume a lot of time and a lot of system resources, which will increase the chances of being detected. The long encryption process may be aborted due to various reasons, making the encryption fail. Just like a human head, a file header normally contains the most important metadata of the whole file, so encrypting the file header can easily render the entire file unusable. Moreover, even if the ransomware chooses to encrypt the whole huge file, the encryption is performed block by block and may be aborted in the half-way, leaving some blocks of the file unencrypted. In such a case, we can also utilize file-level recovery tools to recover data from these blocks. There may be other copies or versions of the original file that still exist, such as: The offline or cloud backup Windows Volume Shadow Copy MacOS Time Machine Linux/Unix ZFS/Btrfs/LVM snapshots Temporary files generated when operating on the original file. Log file In some cases, we can restore the original file directly, such as from a cloud backup. For other cases, we need to use specialized tools to recover the data. For example, if there is a temporary file for an encrypted PST file, then we can use the Outlook file recovery tool to recover data from the temporary file. If there is a log file for an encrypted SQL Server database file, we can use it to reconstruct the data. 4. Key May Be Available In many cases, we can get the key to decrypt the encrypted data not from the hacker, but from other sources. If an active ransomware process is detected, then we can perform a memory dump and utilize the memory forensics technology to exact the key. Some ransomware may not erase the key in the memory after the encryption. In such a case, if the corresponding memory block is not overwritten, we can also utilize the memory forensics technology to obtain the key. Some ransomware will not remove the temporary file containing the key. Therefore, we can recover it from the file. Some ransomware will hardcode the keys in their own executable files. Some will put the keys in system registry. The system log files or snapshots may also contain the keys. For all these cases, the keys may be stored in plain text or encrypted with some algorithms. For the latter case, normally we can utilize the reverse engineering technology to decode them. As we can see in this article, there are many data recovery technologies that can deal with the ransomware. Therefore, ransomware attacks may not necessarily be disastrous. When they do occur, you can consult a data recovery specialist to get the best strategy.


Time Business News
16-06-2025
- Business
- Time Business News
Unlock Data Insights with SQL Server BI Modeling
Data is indeed driving decisions today, and, as a consequence, greater importance is placed on Business Intelligence (BI) to transform the raw data into actionable insights. Data modeling lies at the heart of this transformation since it guarantees data definition, storage, and access. Among many technologies, SQL Server BI Modeling stands above as a strong and scalable mechanism to build data models underpinning business intelligence activities. Data Warehousing SQL Server is very strong in data warehousing (that is, before data obtained from multitudinous sources is amalgamated and deposited for analysis); BI modeling actually begins with designing a warehouse schema that supports analytical processing. ETL Processes (Extract, Transform, Load) Systems can interpret SSIS tools differently so data can be unearthed, transformed into a common format, and loaded into the data warehouse. The model must be able to deal with this, scaling and doing so with precision. Dimensional Modeling A dimensional model (star and snowflake schemas) one tries to understand a complex data model in understandable dimensions (time, geography, product, etc.) and facts (sales, revenue, etc.). These models facilitate high-speed analysis and form the basis of the BI architecture. Tabular and Multidimensional Models SQL Server Analysis Services provides developers the choice to create either tabular or multidimensional models. Tabular models are more flexible and intuitive and use DAX (Data Analysis Expressions) as their language. On the other hand, multidimensional models use MDX (Multidimensional Expressions) to carry out complex calculations for analytical purposes. Reporting and Visualization Once the data is well-modeled, it is consumed by different tools such as Power BI, Excel, or SSRS (SQL Server Reporting Services) to develop dashboards, reports, and visualization, the utility of which in representing the information and whether they do it correctly directly depends on BI modeling quality. Higher Data Quality: The well-designed model checks for consistency in the data and enforces the accuracy and completeness of data throughout the system. The well-designed model checks for consistency in the data and enforces the accuracy and completeness of data throughout the system. Performance Enhancement: The model is optimized, thereby reducing the response time of queries for better analysis and user experience. The model is optimized, thereby reducing the response time of queries for better analysis and user experience. Scalability: SQL Server BI solutions support scaling with increasing data volumes as required by any enterprise. scaling with increasing data volumes as required by any enterprise. Security and Compliance: Implementing SQL Server provides security through built-in mechanisms that ensure compliance with data governance standards. SQLDBM is a cloud-native database modeling tool used to facilitate SQL Server BI model design and management. Here are all the reasons it is a favorite: Visual Modeling Interface: SQLDBM allows the teams to create, explore, and modify models visually to improve collaboration and shared understanding across departments. SQLDBM allows the teams to create, explore, and modify models visually to improve collaboration and shared understanding across departments. Reverse and Forward Engineering: You could generate models quickly from an existing database or produce SQL scripts to implement schema changes and speed up the development cycles. You could generate models quickly from an existing database or produce SQL scripts to implement schema changes and speed up the development cycles. Version Control and Change Tracking: Easily manage multiple versions of your data model and track changes over time to ensure accountability and auditability. Easily manage multiple versions of your data model and track changes over time to ensure accountability and auditability. Collaboration Features: It facilitates collaboration, from allowing the business analyst to work alongside the data engineers and developers simultaneously on BI models. Incorporating SQLDBM into your SQL Server BI Modeling workflow will speed up the development process and lend clarity and integrity to your models. Understand Business Requirements: Involve stakeholders from the beginning so that data models can be aligned to business objectives. Normalize Where Needed, Denormalize for Performance: Normalize in staging; denormalize when reporting for performance. Use Readable Naming Conventions: This improves both the readability and maintenance of the model. Document Your Models: Document always so as to ease onboarding and auditing processes. Iterate and Refine: Consider BI cleaning as an ever-evolving process on which you review and improve your models depending on inputs and changes in business requirements. SQL Server BI Model is much more than a technological exercise; it is an application solution that enables greater organizational acquisition of smarter faster decisions. With on board, this process gets faster, more collaborative, and scalable, supporting businesses to model confidently. Investing in strong modeling practices, in a sense, would be like that first consideration on bringing integration to the greatest potential of one's data, regardless of whether it entails modernizing data infrastructure or building BI from scratch. TIME BUSINESS NEWS