Since the inception of data warehousing, the industry has witnessed many changes and advancements in terms of technology and infrastructure. However, to date, one thing remains constant — the need for on-premises IT infrastructure to support the functioning of data warehousing. As cloud technologies continue to evolve and mature, we believe that insight is the end of on-premises data warehousing. This article looks at why this trend is in place and what will happen in the future.

How do on-premises data warehouses work?

A traditional on-premise data warehouse installation requires an initial investment in hardware and a large staff to handle installation and maintenance. It also requires that you commit to the amount of storage and processing power necessary for your organization even before your business grows.

You will be responsible for extracting data from anywhere it exists within the business. Usually, this means getting data from multiple databases depending on their source. Then you’ll need to standardize that data to put all of it into one place.

Data can come from a variety of sources, including databases and spreadsheets, and it can be pushed to a central point. From there, it can be used to create business intelligence. With these insights, companies can make better business-related decisions over time.

How do cloud data warehouses work?

Cloud data warehouses allow businesses to collect, store, and analyze data in a cloud environment — reducing costs and freeing up IT resources. Using cloud data warehouses, companies can collect and store data from every department of their organization without making large upfront investments in hardware or IT teams.

There are two types of cloud warehouses: the traditional data warehouse, which mimics how companies store information offline (i.e., using servers); and the newer NoSQL cloud warehouse, which does not use servers to store or query data. Amazon Redshift is an example of a traditional data warehouse, while Google BigQuery is an example of a NoSQL warehouse.

In short, cloud data warehouses let companies get the latest information to their employees at all times by providing one centralized location where all relevant company data can be harnessed and analyzed. This gives businesses the advantage of up-to-the-minute information, which allows them to make critical business decisions that will increase productivity and efficiency.

On-Premises data warehouses are not ideal for today’s businesses

Data warehousing is a growing field, projected to be worth over $24 billion by 2025. Many companies are using this technology to fuel business decisions with accurate data. The ever-increasing popularity of cloud-based data warehouses is particularly significant, with 73% of businesses choosing this solution over on-premise systems.

The cloud data warehouse has already helped all kinds of businesses — from e-commerce to health care — unearth insights from their growing data sets. It’s also made it possible for businesses to exploit their data for new purposes, such as business intelligence and data science. Cloud data warehouses have made it easier to analyze your company’s data and turn it into actionable insights to help you make better decisions and grow your enterprise.

The demand for data warehouses will steadily increase over the next ten years. The increased adoption of cloud-based solutions will drive the data warehousing market through 2025, as organizations everywhere need to host their data in the cloud. Some companies that sell into the data warehousing market are SAP, Oracle, and IBM. These three businesses have seen that their products are needed in the market time and again.

The Big Tech Takeover

Columnar databases such as AWS Redshift and Google BigQuery represent a breakthrough in the way we access information — they promise to enhance the performance and scalability of regular, row-based databases tenfold. As these databases gain even more popularity amongst enterprises and businesses, they will undoubtedly bury their competition, such as Oracle Data Warehouse and Microsoft Azure.

For some time, businesses had been concerned about the security of public clouds. One significant risk was that cloud computing could make information vulnerable to hackers. However, as public clouds have matured and evolved, those issues have been addressed; today, businesses looking for a secure place to store their data can find it on a public cloud with high levels of encryption and heavy security protocols.

The Rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Artificial intelligence is baked into everything we do — we don’t notice the change, but the change is massive. Cloud-based AI is changing how we manage warehouses and factories, drive cars and cities, and design new products. Yet all of that isn’t what matters most when it comes to using AI; what matters most is that businesses can now cheaply incorporate powerful data analysis into their operations, and they can do so in seconds.

AI and data analytics have been around for a long time, but these technologies were too expensive to be used by most companies until recently. However, the rise of cloud computing has changed that — now, businesses can buy and use AI and data services at a fraction of their previous price, and they can even collocate those services with the company’s own data.

Moreover, businesses still think of cloud data warehouses as expensive, oversimplified solutions. But the truth is, cloud data warehouses are far better than on-premises, local data warehousing solutions. Cloud warehouse solutions allow businesses to take full advantage of the benefits of cloud computing for affordable, cost-effective data warehousing.

Is this a good thing?

Lots of brands are moving to cloud-based data analysis platforms, and they’re not alone. The recent rise of artificial intelligence means that we can now mine data we’ve never been able to before — and this opens up a lot of interesting opportunities for the future.

The cloud is the key to collating data from disparate sources. It also makes that data easier to secure since it’s accessible only by the businesses authorized to use it. This ease of access has made the cloud the preferred option for data storage, with other storage options quickly becoming obsolete.

A cloud-based CI/CD pipeline can speed up development processes and releases – but how do you choose the right one?

What is CI/CD in Software Development?

CI/CD stands for continuous integration (CI), continuous delivery (CD), and continuous deployment (CD, again). A CI/CD pipeline is a method of using automation tools to speed up end-to-end development processes.

What are the benefits of CI/CD?

A CI/CD pipeline focuses on improving your dev cycle. Some of the biggest benefits include:

Why use a cloud-based CI/CD platform?

For most businesses, the best way to implement CI/CD is through the cloud. Cloud-based CI/CD implementation offers improved maintenance, security, and access to pipelines and repositories wherever your team is based – at a fraction of the cost of hosting your own CI/CD platform.

Alternatively, you can run on-premises CI/CD. However, on-site solutions tend to be a costly option, as you’ll need to purchase the equipment and floor-space, and staff to maintain the system. If you don’t already have an existing data server, implementation can also cause massive disruption to the business. Likewise, you may want to experiment with a hybrid CI/CD system, using the cloud and on-prem for more flexibility.

What should I look for in a cloud-based CI/CD?

– Assess your current practices first

Before deciding on cloud-based CI/CD, look at your current workflows and processes. Is there a genuine need for CI/CD? Identify areas where processes are causing delays or where competitors are launching ahead of you – and how CI/CD resolves these types of issues.

Also, consider locations. With the rise of remote working, cloud-based systems are invaluable to maintain (and increase) efficiency and productivity. If staff are geographically diverse, you need to ensure they can securely access what they need, wherever they are.

If you need faster deployment of frequent code changes and better ways to test the final product, cloud-based CI/CD is right for you.

– Minimal disruption and easy configuration

Automating through CI/CD – like all automation, really – is about making your life easier. Its purpose is to do all the time-consuming manual work on your behalf. So, it would help if you look for systems that are equally easy to set up. The development team is a lot more hands-on in the system’s configuration, which means they should be comfortable setting up and using the system from the get-go.

Ideally, an implementation shouldn’t have any major impact on business operations. Cloud-based CI/CD is a lot less disruptive than on-site, but the amount of disruption implementation causes will vary from product to product.

Wherever possible, look for solutions that offer support and training – especially if you’re new to CI/CD.

– Integration and collaboration

For maximum efficiency, development teams need to work together with visibility over what’s in the pipeline, at what stage, and what’s being deployed. The right CI/CD offers that sort of process oversight. Everyone’s on the same page, or screen, at least.

To maintain this level of visibility, collaboration is a no-brainer. Choose a platform that supports the simple integration of tools like Microsoft Teams, Slack, and Jira, which keeps teams connected and other tools in your DevOps arsenal. It’ll make building powerful workflows much easier.

Even better, seek a platform that lets you build your own integrations, too.

– Languages

Different programming languages have different build and test requirements. A good CI/CD tool will need to support every programming language your team uses. Discuss the requirements with the team – in fact, it’s a good idea to bring your developers on board early to gain internal buy-in and help stop resistance to new tech and tools.

Because dev teams work with a diverse set of languages and environments, it’s entirely possible that you’ll need more than one CI/CD tool for different projects. Often, this is better than selecting one tool as a ‘compromise candidate’ that does most of what you need, but you know it will lead to frustrations later down the line.

The alternative is to code your plug-ins, which takes up the sort of time a CI/CD is supposed to save in the first place.

– Security and compliance

Security is essential – and it’s one of the main reasons why many opt for the more secure cloud-based CI/CD pipeline. It’s good for business and legal reasons, of course, and for the customers, especially in an age where cyber-attacks are constantly in the news.

Depending on how you operate, you might need to choose a CI/CD tool that meets certain compliance standards – for example, if you store, backup, or access sensitive data or need to maintain operational resilience. This will be familiar to those in professional service industries like law and finance, but many standards, like GDPR, apply to all businesses.

Some tools will also offer additional security features, like 2FA, to keep your data safe.

– Scalability and uptime

Don’t just focus on what you need right now. Think about what you’ll need in the future. What are your team and business objectives? How will the right CI/CD automation help you achieve those goals? Being able to scale, meet, and drive growth through more effective development cycles.

Much of this can be automated now, with Cloud-based CI/CD managing loads and adapting to automatically scale as needed.

And, as with any technology implementation, search for the CI/CD pipeline that offers reliable uptimes. You need to know you and your team can always access the tools you need when you need them – and that, in the rare instances when everything goes dark, it won’t last long.

– Price and demos

The bottom line is always a factor. Be realistic about how much the right CI/CD is going to cost. Once you’ve found a list of CI/CD tools that meet your individual needs, you can strip away those that are out of budget (or even those that are suspiciously cheap).

Any CI/CD platform worth it’s salt will offer a free trial or demo. Use these to see which tool is the best fit, and get as many key stakeholders – the people who will use the tool – involved, too. Switched-on team members who work in these environments all day long will almost always spot a flaw or opportunity that you would’ve otherwise missed.

Selecting the CI/CD tool that works for you

Choosing the right CI/CD tool takes time, rigorous research, and a clear vision. Too many companies rush into implementing new systems that are limited in scope, don’t meet business needs, or simply go unused by staff. And that’s when the costs can spiral, frustrations rise…

Dev teams of all kinds will benefit from the automation that the best CI/CD tools deliver. Find the one that works for you and give it a try. It has the power to change the way you work.