Wednesday, 28 March 2018

5 Best Mongodb Reporting Tools


A light weight, easy to use reporting tool for MongoDB is a must for businesses using this platform for their BI needs. The market offers various options to access this database platform, some requiring hardcore coding while others offering a more intuitive approach towards their functionality. This blogpost will list out the best MongoDB reporting tools that you can depend on for your business intelligence needs.

WideStage

WideStage is an open source, self-service reporting tool for MongoDB that allows you to query data using business terms instead of SQL or complex query languages. Its semantic layer is the biggest advantage that it offers, making it a preferable reporting tool for many enterprises.

DBKoda

This tool brings a fresh and contemporary feel to the MongoDB platform. The tool is basically a rich MongoDB code editor that offers syntax highlighting, code completion, formatting as well as a graphical interface for database administration and query commands.

Helical Insight

This business intelligence framework for MongoDB offers multi device compatibility and lets you connect to one or multiple databases at the same time including relational databases, columnar databases, API, flat files, CSV and more.

Slam Data

Another MongoDB reporting tool that allows you to access NoSQL MongoDB databases with sophistication and ease. It offers better support for micro services and enhanced functionality with no Mapping or ETL.

DBHawk

By far the best and most trusted MongoDB reporting tools available in the market, DBHawk lets you browse and query full MongoDB databases and documents using a web browser. Documents can be queried using an advanced drag and drop query builder. The tool also includes an online MongoDB Shell, JSON data viewer, online GridFS, and MongoDB data editor. This MongoDB GUI is supported for Windows, Linux as well as MacOS and is a robust system that will resolve most of your business intelligence needs with ease.

Hope the above information will help you pick the best MongoDB reporting tool for your enterprise data management requirements.



Importance Of Data Driven Decision Making In Business


Many entrepreneurs prefer to do what their gut tells them to do. Business decision making, for many years, has largely been dependent on an individual’s prowess, attitude, risk taking abilities and understanding of the market. But lately, things have begun to move in a much more exciting direction. As information takes the center stage in the corporate world, entrepreneurs and business stakeholders are mobbing towards data based decision making as opposed to the traditional intuitive approach. And the results reaped by this switchover are nothing short of amazing! The importance of data driven decision making in the business world is paramount – a fact that will be proven to you by the points listed below:

Operational Insights

Data provides you insights into patterns and trends that might otherwise be unobvious to you. By analyzing numbers like turnover, purchases, operational costs and so on, you can unearth useful insights about your business activity including boom and sluggish periods of your business cycle, seasonal opportunities, wastage issues and the like. This information can further be used to tweak strategies, processes and pricing policies to better capitalize the market while minimizing costs.

New investments

Data driven decision making can bring precision and profitability in your investments, ensuring that your choice of steering your enterprise in a particular direction is based on solid facts that back your move. Whether it be for a new product launch, devising a new strategy or for putting your money in a lucrative deal, data can help you determine exactly what to expect from the decision so you can execute the requisite check-and-balance measures for mitigating risks and maximizing returns.

Future planning

Data driven decision making opens an entrepreneur’s eyes to endless possibilities. Fact based analytics help business stakeholders realize the multiple approaches they can take to achieve set goals and weigh the pros and cons of each option. This helps businesses set a clear future path that is most suitable and most profitable for the organization with clear metrics established for each goal to be achieved.

In the business world, gut-feel is an important tool in the hands of an entrepreneur, but when the same intuition is backed with data, decision making becomes razor sharp and effective.


3 Easy Ways To Make Microsoft SQL Server Report Builder Faster


Microsoft SQL server report builders are a necessary tool for database users looking to generate, manage and deliver both paper oriented reports as well as interactive web-based reports from all kinds of data sources. Even though most reporting services incorporate the commonly used features and options necessary for building reports, these usually are not enough for the smart and savvy BI user who needs a tool that is easy to use and saves on time. Enter DBHawk, one of the most interactive and intuitive web based Microsoft SQL server tools that you can use as a viable alternative to SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS). And for making your server report building function faster, here are 3 easy ways that you can adopt while making use of DBHawk:

Use DBHawk Drag and Drop visual query builder

DBHawk is an entirely web based Microsoft SQL server report builder that allows you to build queries with drag and drop database tables. The system doesn’t require any coding or SQL knowledge at all and offers a purely visual mode of creating and managing queries in a matter of a few clicks. Your report building function will take on lightning fast speeds when you use this tool to connect with your data source.

Use DBHawk Drag and Drop visual report designer

DBHawk also allows users to create and edit reports visually with a nifty drag and drop report design tool that can assist you in creating a D3 based chart, gauge, dendogram, bubble, line, pie, chord, box plots, scatterplots, discrete bar, stacked/grouped multi-bar, or stacked/group area. Your report dashboard becomes much more intuitive with this tool and you are able to design and present your data in a much faster and more efficient manner.

Use DBHawk job and report scheduling features

Microsoft SQL server report builders rarely provide ad hoc report automation features however, with DBHawk, you can schedule jobs, automatically generate reports, access and import data and even share your final presentation with relevant BI users much faster. Now you can schedule all your routine report building functions and concentrate on tasks that demand more of your attention!

Use these 3 easy ways to make the best use of DBHawk’s Microsoft SQL server report builder.


DBHAWK - Quick And Easy Fix For Your Ad Hoc SQL Queries

The business environment is changing rapidly, becoming more and more unpredictable and information centric. This creates a situation where decision makers often desire situation-based data that needs to be processed for steering an enterprise in the right direction. For any normal database management system, such queries are known as “Ad-Hoc” and they tend to be slightly tough to handle, owing to their unpredictable nature, of course. Data, reports, charts and dashboards are needed without the need to involve the IT department for managing the Ad Hoc SQL queries. This is where web based tools such as DBHawk come in handy – they offer a quick and easy fix for all your Ad Hoc SQL queries.

DBHawk is a robust and powerful online SQL editor that allows users to access databases, tweak entries, build Ad Hoc SQL queries and generate reports in just a few clicks. The entire system is based on a premise that users need not resort to hardcore coding to connect to data sources. The tool offers a host of different features to facilitate business with their BI needs including:

● Using DBHawk, businesses can define a clear and secure data access policy to help ensure that relevant information reaches the right individuals without the risk of falling in the wrong hands.

● DBHawk allows users to build Ad Hoc SQL queries using the online SQL editor or visual query builder without having to write even a single line of SQL code!

● DBHawk also allows users to view and manage databases and even tweak data presentation by using some serious cool visual aids like a D3 dashboard, Line Chart, Pie Chart, Area Chart, Scatterplot, Bar charts, Choropleth Maps, Data grids, Counters and more.

● Sharing Ad Hoc SQL reports with other BI users is easy as cakewalk with DBHawk. Users can create links or emails and even set expiration dates on the same to ensure that data security is maintained.

● DBHawk also allows users to schedule tasks and build Ad Hoc SQL queries on the basis of a pre-defined routine. The system becomes extremely handy when certain data reports are needed by BI users on a regular basis.

DBHawk is definitely a perfect addition to your set of BI tools needed to keep your business enterprise ahead of the curve, always!


Monday, 29 January 2018

Are You Making These SQL Server Mistakes While Using Ad Hoc Reporting Tools?

SQL programming is an equally fun and challenging task. This is especially true for developers whose backgrounds are in traditional languages like C, C++, Java, and VB and who have become so accustomed to manual coding that they find it especially difficult to adopt a set-based mindset. Just the same, even seasoned data base administrators and SQL developers are not immune to the many pitfalls of the language. The key is mastering your fundamentals and being sensitive to common mistakes, even though they are often difficult to spot. Here are common SQL server mistakes that you should watch out for when using Ad Hoc Reporting Tools:

Asterisk in SELECT statements – It is critical to define and specify columns that you want to return in your queries. This standard is crucial for security and performance reasons. Take for instance the query SELECT * FROM Customer, this will return all customer values, including any and all sensitive data that you might be keeping in the same table. This will cause a great deal of trouble if you keep your customers’ social security number, password, or any other sensitive information within the table. Even when these values are encrypted, the hash value can still hep hackers. There will also be a huge performance issue if the table contains dozens of columns. Defining and specifying columns will not only limit the size of the query’s record set, but also the data available for hackers, thus preventing breaches.

Excessive looping with cursors – Looping structures are the bane of any SQL database performance. They permit looping through millions of records and running statements against each of these records, individually. While this may appear advantageous, it can actually destroy your performance, as they make programming inefficient. A good workaround would be to write the procedure in a way that avoids affecting database performance.

4 Ways You Can Grow Your Creativity Using SSRS Ad Hoc Report Builder

Report builder is a specially designed report creation tool by Microsoft that enables the development of simple to complex dashboards and reports based on data coming from a wide variety of sources, ranging from SQL Server, Orace, Azure, DB2, SAP, ODBC, XML, and Terradata databases. It uses the same Report Designer as development tools like SSRS (SQL Server Reporting Services) and SSDT (SQL Server Data Tools).

Here are ways that you can benefit from and develop your creativity using SSRS Ad Hoc Report Builder:

• One of the best things about SSRS Report Builder is that it is designed so that even non-technical staff can develop reports. Powerful visuals are also enabled through different supported report regions, including maps, gauges, charts, and indicators. An entire library of report items such as tables, charts, matrices, and images can likewise be created and reused by users. Reports can also be published for shared use or generated for personal use.

• Report parts and shared data sets can be pre-configured to give users access to raw data that need to be reported on, without having to learn about complex underlying database structures. This also gives them the ability to generate impressive-looking components to their reports without the need to understand how to customize and configure the same.

• Shared Report Parts can be made available through the SSRS server, so report writers can focus on the data and story being presented and gain access to relevant reports simply by plugging in the appropriate components that are already bound to the needed business data sets.

• Report writers can likewise take advantage of the compete design capabilities of the Report Builder, build custom data sets, and create and configure their own complex gauges, charts, maps, tables, lists, and matrices, if they so wish and if they are familiar with source data.

Monday, 18 December 2017

Track Database Alterations with Database Auditing Tools

Auditing is a core component of database compliance and security protocols and is usually accepted as a critical step in the overall management of IT operations. Information ranging from trade secrets to financial parameters and even private data end up getting stored on business servers. And in a data-centric working environment, databases need active monitoring and control to ensure that critical business information doesn’t end up being misused, leaked, messed-up or worse, stolen. The presence of multiple stakeholders in a database can also generate usage redundancies and fallacies that need to chased down and corrected. In short, a business needs to track database alterations with robust and reliable database auditing tools.

Organizations that hold sensitive data need to manage effective compliance with various corporate governance laws and data sharing protocols like HIPPA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), SOX(Sarbanes-Oxley), GLBA(Gramm-Leach-Bliley) regulations, EUDPD(European Union Data Protection Directive) and PCI(Payment Card Industry) compliance initiatives. The compliance protocols and data protection parameters that these laws and directives demand aren’t easy for database admins and IT managers to handle, especially with existing issues that arise in a database environment on a daily basis. Database auditing tools help manage these compliance requirements while ensuring that the integrity and sanctity of information is maintained with options such as user management, authentication, segregation of duties, access control and auditing.

Maintenance of user logs and activity history is important as it helps track down the source of any discrepancy that might be arising in a database. These tools also help channelize user activity through a single server, thereby ensuring that admins can concentrate more on server security and less on protecting multiple user machines. These tools are capable of functioning with a wide variety of database environments like Oracle, SQL Server, MySQL, PostgreSQL, Netezza, Teradata and SAP HANA, among others.


This is what makes database auditing tools such an invaluable asset for a business enterprise.