Reader Favourites: Some of 2022’s Most Popular Pythian Blogs
Every year, tens of thousands of IT professionals and executives visit Pythian’s blog to tap into our team’s deep expertise and experience. As 2022 comes to a close, we’d like to highlight a few of our reader’s favourites over the past year. There’s something for everyone from Pythian Life (glimpses into Pythian’s culture) to our Technical Track and Business Insights. Did your favourites make the list?
Top Pythian Life Blogs of 2022
What to Expect When Interviewing with Pythian
From application through to your final preparation to become a Pythianite, Andrew Lang’s blog sheds some light on the interview process. Learn about our open positions, how to prepare for your first interview, and what to expect when you meet the hiring manager in What to Expect When Interviewing with Pythian. And don’t forget to check out the FAQs!
Namaskara from Bangalore
Every month, a member of the Pythian team shares their story—including their path to Pythian, their largest challenges, their home office, what they do for fun, and much more. Readers loved learning about Archita Chauhan from Bangalore. As a Database Administrator at Pythian, she shares her rich culture, unique life experiences—from Gujarat to Bangalore—and more.
There was no better way to celebrate National Women’s History Month!
A Recruiter Recruited to Recruit at Pythian
If you’ve been recently recruited at Pythian, chances are you’ve met Kirsty Harris, Global Talent Acquisition Partner at Pythian. In her blog A Recruiter Recruited to Recruit at Pythian, she shares what drew her to the global IT services company. Between the work-life balance, collaboration, knowledge sharing, innovation, or the customer-first, people always approach, Kirsty found a home here at Pythian.
Top Technical Track Blogs of 2022 (per category)
In Advanced Analytics, Open Source, & MySQL: Migrate RDB to Cloud SQL Using Google’s Dataflow
Using an RDBMS (relational database management systems) to manage your organization’s data? Want to reduce error rates and make datasets easier to manage? Read Vincent Sun’s blog on migrating RDB to the cloud with Google’s Dataflow.
In AWS: Build a Data Lake Using Lake Formation on AWS
Building a data lake can be a massive, time-consuming undertaking requiring proper governance, access controls, and semantic consistency. However, if you’re looking to build one on AWS, Sandeep Arora has you covered—from understanding AWS Lake Formation to database creation to permissions management.
In Azure: Leveraging Azure Synapse Analytics Service Integrations
First-party services are driving cloud adoption. Microsoft’s release of Synapse Analytics delivered a flexible service that integrates numerous third-party services—a perfect fit for those looking to build an enterprise data platform on Azure. Learn how your company can leverage Azure and Synapse Analytics in Warner Chaves’s blog.
In Cassandra: Batch Operations in Apache Cassandra
The commonly held belief that batch operations can improve Apache Cassandra performance is a misconception. In many cases, batches can decrease performance—read Anil Mittana’s popular blog on batch operations in Apache Cassandra to learn more.
In Cloud: An Initial Test of Google’s AlloyDB Columnar Engine
Earlier in 2022, Pythian had the pleasure of testing and evaluating Google’s AlloyDB—a customized cloud version of PostgreSQL with significant performance gains. Simon Pane ran some initial tests of the new Columnar Engine, and you will surely be impressed by his early findings.
In Google Cloud: Securing your Application with Google’s WAF Cloud Armor
With enterprise web applications under constant threat, multiple layers of checks and defences—including Web Application Firewalls—are becoming commonplace. Google’s Cloud Armor is a managed service that helps protect your valuable applications from numerous threats, including Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) Attacks. Dennis Sheen shares how to set up Cloud Armor, tune it to your needs, and deploy it—adding another robust security layer to your security strategy.
In Microsoft SQL Server: How to Install SQL Server Reporting Services 2019
Running into issues trying to install SQL Server 2019? Feature selection SSRS nowhere to be found? Pio Balistoy helps readers navigate this common installation issue in his popular installation guide.
In MongoDB: MongoDB Database Backups Series
Igor Donchovski’s series on MongoDB replica set backups highlights the best practices using a Logical Volume Manager (LVM) snapshot, followed by incremental backups using the Operations Log (OPLOG). Don’t miss this detailed three-part series!
How to backup MongoDB database using LVM snapshots – Part 1:
MongoDB incremental backups using the OPLOG – Part 2:
MongoDB Backups and Point In Time Recovery – Part 3:
In Oracle: CVE-2022-21500 and Your Oracle E-Business Suite
If you follow Oracle’s E-Business Suite update, you might have heard about the Oracle Security Alert Advisory on CVE-2022-21500 in May. If not, Andrejs Prokojevs has you covered.
In PostgreSQL: Using Kafka to Replicate Data from Postgres to MS SQL Server – Part 1
When the data your organization needs for critical decision-making isn’t easily accessible or in one place, initiatives and projects can slow to a crawl. Marcelo Adade shares a creative solution to a client issue (inability to replicate tables between SQL Server and Oracle) using PostgreSQL and Kafka.
Using Kafka to Replicate Data from Postgres to MS SQL Server: Part 1
In SAP: How a Well-Planned SAP S/4HANA Migration Can Be a Catalyst for Digital Transformation
Organizations worldwide are considering migrating to SAP S/4HANA—the next-generation Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) platform aimed at driving organizational digital transformation. However, with three-quarters of digital transformation efforts failing, how do you plan your transformation with confidence? Huseni Kapasi shares his wealth of experience formulating a roadmap and getting the best start possible.
How a Well-Planned SAP S/4HANA Migration Can Be a Catalyst for Digital Transformation
In Snowflake: Snowflake Feature Applicability At a Glance
Enrique Lopez de Lara will tell you that preparing for the Snowflake SnowPro Advanced: Architect Certification is no easy feat. If you’ve been studying for your certification, you may have found that Snowflake has generous documentation—however, feature applicability can be difficult to discern at a high level. Read Enrique’s blog post for a comprehensive overview of Snowflake’s feature applicability.
P.S.—good luck with your exam!
Top Business Insights Blogs of 2022
Why Migrate Your PostgreSQL, MySQL or SQL Server to Google Cloud SQL?
Whether you’re on MySQL, SQL Server, or PostgreSQL doesn’t matter; transitioning to Google Cloud SQL can unlock many enhancements. Michael McKee shares how Google Cloud SQL can take things to another level, from task management automation to business continuity.
Why Migrate Your PostgreSQL, MySQL or SQL Server to Google Cloud SQL?
Moving your Oracle Database to the Cloud? Here’s Why You Should be Thinking Google Cloud
Oracle continues to be a go-to for relational databases—but they’re often large and complex, making cloud migrations challenging. When the typical lift and shift isn’t an option, Whit Walters shares why Google’s Bare Metal Solution (BMS) and open-source options on Google Cloud are excellent migration destinations.
Moving your Oracle Database to the Cloud? Here’s Why You Should be Thinking Google Cloud
Data is the Heart of Business
In a genuinely enlightening Love Letter to Data, Paul Lewis shares how his relationship with data has changed over the years. At first, he thought scarcely about data—but his appreciation for it grew in time, and data became his truth.
Defining Your Data Strategy
Joey Jablonski’s ongoing series on data strategy outlines fundamentals, methodologies, and effective processes to enhance your organization’s data strategy. From prioritization, his deep expertise help demystifies the often abstract and ambiguous world of data strategy, governance, and more.
That’s a wrap for this year—a big thank you to all our readers and contributors who made 2022 an incredible year. Be sure to sign-up and receive updates when our team publishes new articles—see you in the New Year!
