During my brief interaction with Raman Govindarajan, the CEO of Chennai-based perfSystems ( >http://bit.ly/F4TRamanG ), a question that I bring up is whether there is a maturity map of database effectiveness. In the context of gauging the maturity or effectiveness of database implementation in typically large enterprises, there are a few key metrics, says Raman. Such metrics include “database and application stability, reasonable and industry-standard performance levels such as response times, industry-standard security compliance, harmony of the database with the applications, operating systems, networking and storage systems, ” he elaborates. Our conversation continues over the e-mail.

Excerpts from the interview:

What are the common pain points in large enterprises as regards databases?

Some of the major pain areas in large enterprises' databases:

a) It is not uncommon that large enterprises' databases have many flaws in approach, architecture, design, choice of platforms, choice of staff, and so on. At times, they have multi-terabyte databases, and run into many issues due to the causes mentioned above, and hence their ROI (return on investment) and user satisfaction levels would be inadequate.

b) Database security is a huge issue, as much of corporate data can be sensitive; and there is a risk of loss of data, due to both internal and external threats.

c) Many organisations are still using archaic database methods such as flat files, unsupported legacy systems and so on, which make it very painful to manage the databases.

d) Some organisations undervalue the importance of using adequate electronic data processing (using databases), maybe due to a combination of the above pain areas. Also, they see it is a cost item, and do not realise the importance of effective data processing with appropriate database technologies. First, it (efficient data processing with databases) can result in an increased revenue generation (through efficient order booking, tracking, optimal cost of delivery, and such). Second, by storing historical corporate and demographical data in databases, the organisation can make business decisions more scientifically, based on past patterns of consumer behaviour.

How do you approach these issues as a player in databases, performance and business intelligence?

My approaches have been as follows, for the respective items mentioned in the previous answer:

a)Design: This is a real challenge, as database design and management can be very complex for large enterprises. Appropriate specialists have to be used at every stage – for architecture, design, decisions on platforms, and software applications – to make the large databases deliver the expectations of the organisation. In fact, many organisations have more than 100 terabyte databases and are using these effectively. And there are many skilled specialists worldwide.

b)Security: We have developed many strategies and products for corporates to have secure databases. Appropriate compliance checks have to be done, as also reporting, based on the industries' requirements and legislation. For instance, customers would need industry-compliant secure databases, aligning with the requirements of HIPPA, DISA, BASEL and so forth.

c)Legacy systems: Old methods/ architecture tend to be expensive to maintain. These have to migrate to appropriate modern technologies, which might be many orders of magnitude cheaper, handle large volumes of data, and be more efficient to manage.

d)Mindset: There is nothing we can do except highlight the ROI the organisation can derive through appropriate database technologies.

Your take on skills that will be needed the most in this domain?

One has to be dedicated to learning the technology. It is not plug-and-play for large applications; there are many architectural and best practices to be followed.

To students, therefore, my advice is to develop a passion for this technology, rather than be happy with small systems; also, aim to work and train on large databases. Good engineering skills, understanding of basic concepts, tools, and architectures, and willingness to work long hours are some of the musts.

India is doing very well in this technology. Indian consulting companies are also doing very well in the database area, though the products from Indian companies could increase as there are still huge opportunities.

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