Modern Data Systems – A practical comparison of current technology

Data systems are evolving in the era of big data. For 40 years, relational databases have been the cornerstone of businesses. While still very important, the 3 V’s (volume, velocity, and variety) of big data have caused an explosion of new systems designed specifically for these new challenges. The author looked at case studies of traditional relational databases versus modern data systems. He explored the difference between traditional and modern systems. Then, he compared the similarities of three modern data systems; Google BigQuery, Amazon Redshift, and Snowflake. The market is at the peak of a hype cycle. Beyond the hype, modern data systems offer advantages over traditional systems for big data analytics. The BigQuery, Redshift, and Snowflake are more similar than different. Underneath the hood, they are subtly different. After answering a series of questions unique to his business, the reader will be able to choose a solution that works for his use case. He will be able to ground this in business strategy and present it to business leaders for approval.