California based perfSYSTEMS is a provider of products, solutions and services in Database Security and Performance, PISO, Vulnerability Monitor, and IT Auditor. By leveraging their expertise in developing customized performance, security related products, database and Internet solutions, and large parallel server architectures, storage systems, the company helps their clients to build optimal, perfect and fast performing systems and solutions.

1. Challenges of Database Technologies

a. With the proliferation of web technologies, applications, and multimedia data types, emergence of newer applications like social media and mobile applications, the database sizes and transaction volumes are rising in alarming proportions. Also most corporate applications are data centric, and with databases supporting APIs from most platforms, and having an effective database (logical and physical) design is of utmost importance. Some of the key metrics in measuring the database maturity or effectiveness are: overall system and application stability (no downtimes), reasonable and industry standard performance levels like response times, industry standard security compliance, harmony of the database with the applications, operating systems, networking and storage systems etc.

However, from a purist's standpoint, a lot of large enterprises' databases have flaws in approach, architecture, design, choice of platforms etc, reflecting in difficulties in achieving the above goals. With powerful and adaptable hardware/software/database platforms and technologies, these flaws may not surface as noticeable problems upto a threshold size/tps levels. When the database sizes and tps increase, corporate run into many issues and hence their ROI and user satisfaction levels would be inadequate.

b. Lots of Organizations are still using archaic database methods like flat files, unsupported legacy systems and their applications, etc. Some rush to open source database platforms for obvious, cost reduction and faster implementation purposes. These platforms may not be scalable, and not support ACID properties especially for mission critical 24*7 applications. While on the short term they may appear economical, the long term costs may or may not be. c. Database Security is a huge issue, as lot of corporate data can be sensitive, and there is a lot of loss of data, due to internal and external threats.