Re: Alterian

I'm not really an expert on COP databases, and it doesn't help they don't
use consistent terminology, but I think that Aleri, Sand, smartFOCUS, Sybase
IQ, Synera, etc probably come into the category. But that doesn't mean that
any are exactly the same as Alterian, as each approaches the problem in a
different way.


"IanS" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Thanks Nigel. Your reply has cleared a few things up for me.
>
> Can you list a few suppliers of COP databases please. Search engines
> are struggling with the Column-Oriented
> Technology description.
>
> thanks
>
> Ian
>
> "Nigel Pendse" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
> news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>> CBAT is Alterian's name for I what prefer to call Column-Oriented
>> Technology, or COP.  It's not a methodology but a type of optimised
>> database. Alterian's implementation is proprietary and unique, but
>> there are a number of other COP products available that do a similar
>> job. So, to answer you question, you can buy other databases based
>> on similar principles, but they won't describe themselves as CBAT as
>> that's Alterian's own name.
>>
>> You can think of COP as being a category of high-performance
>> products that are used for the analysis of large volumes of
>> transaction information, in the same way as MOLAP is used for the
>> analysis of multidimensional data. Both categories use special,
>> highly-optimised databases that, for the particular apps for which
>> they are intended, are far faster and more functional than
>> general-purpose alternatives such as relational databases. But this
>> doesn't man that COP and MOLAP are rhe same thing.
>>
>>
>> "IanS" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
>> news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>>> Question for you.
>>>
>>> Alterian uses the CBAT database methodology.
>>>
>>> Does Alterian own this methodology or can you actually purchase a
>>> database with this ability?
>>>
>>> Ian
>>>
>>>
>>> "Nigel Pendse" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
>>> news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>>>> "John Halpin" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
>>>> news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>>>>> Anyone out there used Alterian? If so what are the key benefits
>>>>> compared to B.Objects and Cognos?
>>>>
>>>> Alterian doesn't compete with OLAP tools like PowerPlay, etc. The
>>>> only BO product that sort-of competes with Alterian is Set
>>>> Analyzer.
>>>>
>>>> I describe Alterian as one of a group of column-oriented processing
>>>> products that does high-speeed filtering and set analysis of
>>>> detailed data, which is the opposite to OLAP. With COP products,
>>>> you analyse then aggregate, whereas with OLAP, you analyse
>>>> aggregates and occasionally drill to detail. Both are useful, but
>>>> you don't use them for the same apps and there's no point
>>>> comparing products from one group with the other.