Data15 min read
Apache Iceberg: how the table format works and how to run it
Apache Iceberg is an open table format for analytic datasets. How commits, catalogs and engines work, Spark SQL tested on 1.12.0, and the upkeep a table needs.
Updated
Data
Turning scattered data into something a business can use: pipelines, warehouses, dashboards and analytics.
The service behind this topic: Data platform
Data16 min read
Change data capture: log-based CDC, Debezium and the outbox pattern
Change data capture streams each committed insert, update and delete from a database log as events. How Debezium, replication slots and the outbox work.
Updated
Data24 min read
Star schema: how to design one with Kimball's four steps and SQL
A star schema joins one fact table at a declared grain to flat dimension tables. Design steps, tested SQL, SCD Type 2, snowflake vs one big table, mistakes.
Updated
Data15 min read
Semantic layer: what it is, how it works and how to choose in 2026
A semantic layer defines each business metric once and compiles it to SQL for every tool. See a tested MetricFlow example, the 2026 options and AI limits.
Updated
Data22 min read
Medallion architecture: bronze, silver and gold layers, and when to skip them
Medallion architecture sorts lakehouse tables into bronze, silver and gold layers. What each holds, the SQL between them, the checks, and when to skip it.
Updated
Data16 min read
Data compression algorithms explained: lossless, lossy and how to choose
Data compression algorithms remove redundancy to store data in fewer bits. How gzip, Brotli, Zstandard, LZ4 and lossy codecs work, and how to choose.
Updated
AI & automation13 min read
AI-generated data for robotics: how synthetic data trains robots
AI-generated robot training data comes from simulators and generative models. How it is made, how teams measure the sim-to-real gap, and where it fails.
Updated
Data19 min read
Generative AI for databases: text-to-SQL, vector search and safe use
Generative AI for databases turns plain-language questions into SQL and searches data by meaning. How it works, how accurate it is and how to use it safely.
Updated
Data15 min read
Big data analytics explained: how it works, tools, examples and costs
Big data analytics is analyzing data too large, fast or varied for one ordinary database. How it works, the main tools, the four types, costs and governance.
Updated
Data14 min read
The role of IT in healthcare: systems, interoperability and security
How IT runs healthcare: EHR, PACS, portals and telehealth, HL7 FHIR interoperability, the US and EU data-sharing rules, and the security that matters.
Updated
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