In-memory Computing

Big data has always been a mean to grow business. With automated systems serving your customers, tracking and analyzing how they use your software can play a huge role in serving your customers more effectively. However multiple problems may stand in your way when organizing and running queries on such large quantities of data. Getting quality results fast enough to act on can be difficult, even on the newest computers. The solution, proponents and analysts say, is In-Memory Computing.

One of the biggest problems of data analysis lies in the way data is stored. Traditional queries run in a Database require large amounts of data access. Hard drives still require mechanical movement to access your data, and even Solid State Hard Drives (SSDs) are trapped behind access that may be blocked by other system requirements.  A computer's Random Access Memory (RAM) provides the best balance of volume and performance in modern computers, and even off the shelf products are cost effective and capable.  The secret of In-Memory Computing is the technique of speeding up data analysis by manipulating large quantities of data in a computer's RAM using specialized algorithms designed for your business.

The trick to the process lies in storing data in a computer’s memory from the very beginning. True, this doesn't allow for as much storage capacity as a Physical Disk, but it allows for faster data access and as a result, can provide real-time results. While it may seem like the answer to your analytic needs, there are a number of issues to keep in mind concerning its use. You still want to move data to long-term storage as it is being collected.  The data still needs to be organized and processed effectively by your software, or even the fastest computers imaginable would not be able to keep up.  Often times this requires special analysis of your business to identify what reports are valuable to you, and how those results can be delivered as quickly as possible.

Coupled together, big data and In-Memory Computing combine into the most efficient and effective way of data processing, but like so many other things what may work for one business might not work for another one. There are plenty of factors to take into account when making such a decision and Parthenon can help you make the right choice.