Vertica database tuned for analytics
- TAGS:analytics, databases, Vertica
- IT TOPICS:Applications, Development, Emerging Technology, Enterprise Apps, Privacy
 Back in the 1970s when relational databases were emerging from design to deployment, their purpose was to handle lots of transactional information. That purpose, says Andy Palmer, co-founder of Vertica Systems Inc. in Andover, Mass., coaxed relational database creators to develop systems that were "write-centric," making them efficient and fast at storing information. Fast-forward to the 21st century and you'll find databases are used for more than transactional purposes. Analytics for one. According to Palmer, analytic applications need "read-centric" databases that store data differently. And that's just what the Vertica Analytic Database does, he claims.
Version 2.0 of Vertica will ship at the end of March. Palmer says in addition to storing data differently, Vertica is also tuned to take advantage of modern microprocessors and servers. He cites Vertica's exploitation of an Intel chip's level two cache, a system's copious memory and clustering technology as opposed to the microprocessor-constrained, disk-oriented RDBMS design of nearly 40 years ago. The Vertica 2.0 update next month adds new compression algorithms and will include support for a host of new analytic and management tools, including Cognos, Tableau, Golden Gate and Toad. Currently the system can handle 100s of terabytes of data, but Palmer says, "We anticipate getting to petabytes in short order." Pricing is based on the amount of terabytes stored.
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