Welp MagazineUsing databases to organize datasets has revolutionized our ability to collect, store, access, and update information. Every business in the modern world can benefit from using at least one database. But with databases comes the responsibility of managing them, which means database management software.
However, local databases and software for managing them have certain disadvantages. These can be overcome by using web-based database management.
The Advantages Of A Web-Based Client
Databases are used for huge volumes of diverse information. This includes customer data, purchasing history, inventory information, financial records, sales transactions, and employee records.
Storing your database on the cloud, and using a web-based Oracle SQL client to manage it, does away with many of the difficulties associated with local data storage and management. You may already have a web-based database, but if not, let’s look at why you should.
Why Local Data Storage Can Be Problematic
If you are still running an on-site database, you need skilled (and, thus, highly paid) individuals to manage it to ensure it does not get corrupted. The software required for local management is also expensive, to say nothing of the hardware.
Moreover, there is always the risk of losing your data. Storing all that data locally means loads of servers, which are highly vulnerable to failure due to temperature fluctuations, which could result in the loss or corruption of vital data. Without a backup, you cannot recover the information you have lost.
These issues explain why databases have generally moved from being located on an organization’s premises to being in the cloud, leveraging the security of major service providers to protect your data while enabling team members anywhere globally to use your database. In response, web-based SaaS database management clients are emerging as the future of managing these remotely-stored databases.
Such software enables your staff in different locations to collaborate with each other and gives you an overview of who is accessing what data for which purposes.
The Issues With Integrated SQL Clients (And The Solution)
You may have tried using the integrated SQL clients that come bundled with cloud-based database services from companies such as Google (BigQuery) and Amazon (RDS) and found that these solutions come up short, as they are not properly mature and lack features that you need to empower your business with the power of databases.
Choose a feature-rich, web-based client that allows your employees to interact with and query the data no matter where they are and collaborate more easily. Features to look for include the ability to import and export data, browse data, build queries, support development, and protect database security by giving you complete control over your information and allowing you to integrate it with your in-house security.
Should You Choose MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle SQL, or NoSQL?
If you are a business owner using a database, you may find the terminology rather confusing. What is SQL, and what are all these variations of it?
SQL stands for Structured Query Language and is a simple computer language devised for interacting with databases. The most popular option is MySQL, followed by PostgreSQL. Both are open source and inexpensive and would be excellent choices for your organization.
On the other hand, Oracle SQL is an absolute powerhouse, favored by Fortune 500 companies for its abilities. However, it is not open source or cheap. Finally, NoSQL refers to newer database query languages not based on SQL.
If you need an inexpensive but capable solution, we recommend MySQL or PostgreSQL. Adopting a web-based database management solution that can support these types of databases means you can start using it immediately with your existing database. Consider the pros and cons of relational vs non-relational database to make the best choice for your business needs
The Bottom Line
Databases offer immense value to your company, and choosing to have them online, and managed by web-based clients, makes sense from financial, collaboration, and security angles.
