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- SQL Server 2025 Launch🚀|Databricks Data & AI Summit lineup 🎤|More thoughts on SQL Server
SQL Server 2025 Launch🚀|Databricks Data & AI Summit lineup 🎤|More thoughts on SQL Server
SQL Server is the Energizer Bunny of RDMS platforms

What’s in today’s newsletter
Microsoft launches SQL Server 2025, enhancing AI integration 🚀🌟🔝
Databricks announces 2025 Data & AI Summit lineup 🎤
Liquibase and Databricks enhance lakehouse change management 🤝
Java, Scala, and Python for big data applications. ⚙️🚀
Memcached replaces Azure Redis for performance and savings. 💡📊🌟
Also, check out the the weekly Deep Dive - SQL Server 2025 and my thoughts on SQL Server
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SQL SERVER

TL;DR: Microsoft unveiled SQL Server 2025, an AI-ready database designed for hybrid cloud use. It features improved performance, Azure integration, and enhanced security to support data-driven decision-making for businesses.
Microsoft launched SQL Server 2025, an AI-ready database designed for hybrid cloud environments and improved performance.
The new query processing engine and enhanced Azure Machine Learning integration aim to optimize data insights and governance.
Advanced security features, including threat protection and auditing, enhance data protection and compliance for organizations.
SQL Server 2025 supports real-time analytics and promotes a data-driven operational framework for businesses leveraging AI technology.
Why this matters: SQL Server 2025's AI-ready, cloud-integrated capabilities empower businesses with enhanced data insights and governance. By optimizing real-time analytics and machine learning, it enables a seamless on-premises-to-cloud transition, crucial for sectors focusing on data-driven strategies. Improved security ensures robust data protection, essential in today's digital world.
DATABRICKS

TL;DR: Databricks announced keynote speakers for its 2025 Data & AI Summit, focusing on innovative AI applications, ethical practices, and fostering collaborations to enhance data intelligence and business competitiveness.
Databricks has announced a diverse keynote speaker lineup for the 2025 Data & AI Summit, featuring industry leaders.
The summit will discuss innovative applications of AI and emphasize ethical usage and data governance.
Sessions will focus on optimizing data strategies to improve business competitiveness and collaborative efforts.
Discussions at the summit aim to foster new initiatives and partnerships, influencing future data intelligence practices.
Why this matters: By gathering industry leaders to discuss cutting-edge AI applications and emphasizing ethical data practices, the 2025 Data & AI Summit could redefine strategic data usage in competitive markets. This platform will likely spur innovations and partnerships crucial for advancing responsible and efficient data intelligence across various sectors.

TL;DR: Liquibase and Databricks have partnered to improve change management in data lakehouses, enabling seamless automation of database changes, enhancing collaboration, and boosting operational efficiency while minimizing risks.
Liquibase and Databricks have partnered to enhance change management in data lakehouse environments for organizations.
The integration allows for seamless automation and management of database changes within existing data workflows.
This collaboration improves collaboration among data teams and ensures updates occur without disruption to operations.
It is expected to enhance operational efficiency and reduce risks associated with database changes in lakehouses.
Why this matters: The collaboration between Liquibase and Databricks revolutionizes change management in data lakehouses, providing a scalable and efficient solution. This innovation enhances operational efficiency, reduces risks, and fosters collaboration, setting industry standards and encouraging future technological advancements in managing complex data environments.
DATA SCIENCE

Source: sun.edu.ng
TL;DR: The article analyzes Java, Scala, and Python for big data backend engineering, highlighting their unique strengths, influence on performance, scalability, and maintainability in data-driven decision-making environments.
Java is a strong choice for big data applications due to its robustness and extensive ecosystem.
Scala's functional programming capabilities enable seamless integration with Apache Spark for real-time data processing.
Python's simplicity and library support facilitate rapid prototyping, enhancing development speed in data analysis projects.
The choice of programming language significantly impacts performance, scalability, and maintainability of big data applications.
Why this matters: Selecting the right programming language for big data projects influences an organization's ability to handle complex data efficiently. Understanding Java, Scala, and Python's unique strengths allows developers to enhance performance, scalability, and maintainability, leading to better alignment with strategic data-driven goals as industries demand ever-more sophisticated solutions.
NOSQL

TL;DR: The author replaced Azure Redis with Memcached for better performance and cost-efficiency, demonstrating the value of reassessing technology choices and adapting to evolving organizational needs.
The author decided to replace Azure Redis with Memcached due to specific performance and cost issues.
Testing and implementation revealed Memcached's superior performance metrics for the team's workload requirements.
The transition resulted in cost savings and improved efficiency, promoting the importance of technology reassessment.
This case sets a precedent for organizations seeking reliable caching solutions amidst evolving technology needs.
Why this matters: In a dynamic tech landscape, reassessing infrastructure like Azure Redis for alternatives such as Memcached can drive performance gains and cost-efficiency. This shift exemplifies how agility in technology choices enhances long-term resilience and sets examples for other organizations to rethink caching solutions for optimized operations.
Check out my comparison of Redis versus Memcached here.

DEEP DIVE
Deep Dive - Another ode to SQL Server
As I write this, Microsoft is introducing SQL Server 2025. I have stated before, SQL Server is the best place to start your database career. It is encouraging to see that Microsoft is putting in features like Vector data type, LangChain integrations, native JSON support, and Fabric Mirroring.
That is all fine and dandy, but if you want to start in this database world, always learn the fundamentals. What are the fundamentals you ask? Well here they are:
Understand data normalization
Have a thorough understanding of the ANSI SQL language
Understand execution plans
Understanding indexing
Get a good grasp of Declarative Referential Integrity (when was the last time you heard that term?)
Obtain other fundamental database administrative skills
If you read those points, you are probably saying, “Hey Gladstone, you are really saying I should be a DBA first?”. I’d say, “yes”.
Once you lock down those skills, I’d suggest making even more progress in your career. You can move on to any type of architecture career (Data, Cloud, Enterprise), all the way up the being a CDAO.
I’m just speaking from my perspective. I’m not a Data Engineer as I have a healthy aversion to data pipelines and DAGs (Directed acyclic graphs). I am just reflecting on my career trajectory.
All this bloviation is to say, SQL Server is a good learning platform for databases because of its interconnected nature. It is not standalone like Microsoft Access (does it still exist)?
It is interesting to see SQL Server still making waves at this point in time.
Happy Memorial Day to all of my American subscribers!
Gladstone Benjamin