DBclassify:

Usage-Based Data Classification for Optimizing Oracle Database Environments

Zettapoint DBclassify™ is an automated data classification solution that is ideal for IT organizations facing management, performance and budgetary challenges associated with ever-growing and increasingly complex Oracle database environments.

DBclassify helps solve the business performance challenges by automatically determining which data is the most valuable to the organization (and which data is unused). Armed with this information, IT can optimize database operations and storage strategies in order to increase performance, reduce costs and increase the overall business value of the database.

DBclassify Unique Benefits:

DBclassify offers a unique approach to data management by delving deeply into actual data usage patterns, and the relationships between particular business processes and the data they use. DBclassify provides much needed insight into the business value of data that no other solution can match. With DBclassify, you can:

• Dramatically reduce the TCO of data storage through intelligent storage tiering (in the same box and cross platform)
• Increase business process performance
• Optimize Partitioning Strategy
• Produce Usage-based Entity Relationship Diagrams
• Reduce the time, cost and risk of database consolidation and migration projects
• Deliver data access auditing for security, fraud detection, internal/external governance or charge-back
• Accelerate ETL processes
• Optimize BI performance through agile data warehouse design
• Go green, conserve natural resources and space

Full Visibility into Actual Data Usage

DBclassify analyzes and differentiates structured data for full visibility into the actual use of the database. Through a comprehensive analysis process, DBclassify automatically tracks and ranks every database object (tables, indexes and columns) based on frequency of access, and associates it with the specific applications and users that use it. Data usage patterns are correlated with their corresponding I/O characteristics. DBclassify also tracks all SQL statements running in the database, including local connections and stored procedures.

With this information, DBclassify delivers full visibility into exactly how and when data is accessed in the database, and by whom – from a high-level perspective to a granular query-by-query view – which no other solution can match.

DBclassify shows you:

• Which database objects (Tables, Indexes, Columns, Partitions) are the best candidates for which storage tier (Tier 0, 1, 2, or archive)
• Which tables and columns are the most frequently used, and which are seldom used or dormant
• Which database objects are used by which applications and users
• Who accesses the data
• The ranges of data values that are most frequently queried by business users, and those that are never queried
• The data that has the most/least value to business users
• Whether data access is different than what was planned or expected

Through this unique insight, DBclassify provides an ideal solution for optimizing data models based on actual usage patterns, formulating intelligent indexing and aggregation strategies, and implementing cost-effective database lifecycle management policies.

Intelligent Reporting for a Comprehensive Analysis of Data Model Usage

DBclassify delivers data classification insight as a set of interactive reports that can be accessed using a standard Web browser. These reports provide a comprehensive and flexible overview of actual data usage.

DBclassify reports allow you to drill-down from a high-level overview of data usage at the object level to the most granular query-by-query view of each SQL statement within the context of any business user or group. For example, DBclassify shows all the SQL statements run by the Marketing department against a particular table or column, providing an exact picture of how and when the Marketing department accesses the data.

Granular information provided through DBclassify includes:

• The number of times a SQL statement was executed
• The program that executed the SQL statement
• Oracle username
• Other contextual session-related information, such as OS user, terminal and machine

All reports can be exported to common portable file formats and produced in hard copy.

Powerful Group-Based Filtering For Business Context Analysis

DBclassify lets you define different groups, such as R&D, Marketing or Finance, for customized analysis of a particular subset of users. These groups can be included or excluded from any report in order to understand data usage patterns in the appropriate business context.

For example, you can filter out the R&D team since their data usage might skew results. Alternatively, you can define a group of Finance users in order to understand how and when this group queries the customer database. With this information you can then optimize the quality of service for the Finance group, or even generate charge back invoices based on their real-life use of the data.

Groups can be further defined based on login, OS user, desktop MAC address, program, or terminal. DBclassify can keep all groups up-to-date by importing information from external sources such as HR databases, csv files, etc.

DBclassify Unique Technical Highlights

DBclassify unique technical features provide an ideal solution for managing the performance and cost of your evolving storage system:

• Non invasive, high-speed data collection
• Real-time SQL capture (configurable sample rate)
• High-level overview to a granular, query-by-query data access view of data usage patterns
• Filters output according to business units/organizational structure
• Full visibility into all query traffic including local connections and stored procedures
• Extensive reporting (multi format, browser based)