Oracle simplifies database clones and snapshots with Snap utility

Oracle database users can now create snapshots and clones of the company's databases on a Sun ZFS Storage Appliance in one step, which should simplify both storage management and internal development in enterprises.

Oracle's Snap Management Utility for Oracle Database, announced on Wednesday, is designed to take most of the work out of creating and managing copies of information in a database. It can create an almost unlimited number of snapshots, according to the company. Snapshots provide pointers into data as it existed at a certain time, and clones offer a copy of stored data that can be used for offline testing and development.

[ Also on InfoWorld: How do I freaking scale Oracle? | And Andrew C. Oliver answers the question on everyone's mind: Which freaking database should I use? | Keep up with the latest approaches to managing information overload and compliance in InfoWorld's Enterprise Data Explosion Digital Spotlight. ]

The new utility, a software option for Oracle's Sun ZFS Storage Appliance, reduces the number of steps for making snapshots from nine to one and for making clones from 12 to one, according to the company. IT administrators can make and manage those copies using a browser-based user interface. The utility has been qualified to work on Oracle Database 10g and 11g and on Oracle Engineered Systems, including the Oracle Exadata Database Machine.

Administrators can carry out some management tasks within the Snap Management Utility, saving them the trouble of working with the more complicated controls of the ZFS Storage Appliance itself, according to Oracle. With the utility, they can schedule snapshots, manage retention of those snapshots and annotate them with metadata. The utility also can handle restoring data to a past snapshot.

The new tool also lets users make their own clones in just a few steps, bypassing the task of coordination between storage resources and a database, which can take weeks, the company said.

Users can buy a license for the utility and download it now. Oracle did not immediately provide a price for the software.

Stephen Lawson covers mobile, storage and networking technologies for The IDG News Service. Follow Stephen on Twitter at @sdlawsonmedia. Stephen's email address is stephen_lawson@idg.com.

View the original article here

Dataguise introduces field-level encryption for Apache Hadoop database

Dataguise says the latest version of its data-protection product enables users to encrypt sensitive data right down to specific fields within an open source Apache Hadoop database.

DG for Hadoop 4.3 also makes use of the traditional Dataguise "masking" capability across single or multiple Hadoop clusters to camouflage sensitive data.

[ Discover what's new in business applications with InfoWorld's Technology: Applications newsletter. | Get the latest insight on the tech news that matters from InfoWorld's Tech Watch blog. ]

[RELATED: How one retailer is migrating away from encryption to protect customer data]

As for the new capabilities, the product can be used to encrypt structured and unstructured data via the Advanced Encryption Standard.

Subra Ramesh, architect and technical director at Dataguise, says DG for Hadoop 4.3 has a way to conduct a context-sensitive search of unstructured data. You can establish an automated policy to discover specific kinds of data, such as credit-card numbers, for example, and encrypt them, he says, adding, "Decrypting it is based on someone's permission."

When a task is carried out or changes occur, DG for Hadoop can send out automated notifications to the security manager by e-mail or SMS, and reporting is designed to be included in compliance reports.

DG for Hadoop 4.3 starts at $25,000.

Ellen Messmer is senior editor at Network World, an IDG publication and website, where she covers news and technology trends related to information security. Twitter: MessmerE. E-mail: emessmer@nww.com.

Read more about wide area network in Network World's Wide Area Network section.

View the original article here