Thursday, December 30th, 2010
In our previous post on What You Need to Monitor: Database Changes Made by Privileged User, we discussed the need to control how privileged users, like database administrators (DBAs), make changes to the information contained in back-end systems. Next, we’ll talk about the need to prevent those privileged users from accessing the database using inappropriate or unapproved channels.
According to Gartner, the greatest threat here is that “accessing databases outside of normal channels can also be symptomatic of compromised accounts being used by external hackers.”
The analyst firm recommends that DBAs and other super-users use only specific, authorized tools, so as not to bypass monitoring and tracking mechanisms. However, many DBAs connect directly to the database server using a remote console, thus bypassing network security. And after logging locally, they typically initiate a local session to the database. This session does not send network packets, so security and sniffer tools will not capture and audit what has been done. Some DBAs even know how to simulate the connection as if its origin is an approved channel. This, in turn, poses immeasurable risks in terms of database availability and integrity.
Our next-generation Oracle db change management environment, dbMaestro TeamWork™ has a powerful lock mechanism that oversees all relevant update events, regardless the connection type.
TeamWork can proactively minimize the threats caused by privileged users using unauthorized channels to access back-end systems. Because it works from within the database itself, its locking capabilities cannot be bypassed in any way. Additionally, it manages access, changes, and deletions to all database elements – regardless of the connection type, the program, or the client. So modifications are always captured, and can be fully audited at any time, regardless of the channel used to make them.
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Tuesday, December 28th, 2010
In a recent Gartner research note, titled “Ten Database Activities Enterprises Need to Monitor”, the renowned analyst firm discusses database security. The piece details some of the primary risks associated with database security and makes recommendations about what companies can do to assess current controls, identify problems and gaps, and optimize protection.
Over the next several weeks, we’ll be publishing a series of posts that details some of those items highlighted by Gartner, and explains how dbMaestro TeamWork™, our next generation Oracle database change management solution, can help.
In this first entry, we’ll talk about privileged users. Gartner claims that, because they have unhindered access to back-end systems, database administrators (DBAs), super-users, and other professionals with high-level privileges must be watched closely by security administrators and auditors – particularly when it comes to retrieval, modification, or deletion of data.
Why? Because this “free reign” creates great risk. For example, financial information could be mistakenly altered, creating major compliance issues. Or, in an even worse – although rare – scenario, they could maliciously make changes sensitive information, like salaries.
Gartner makes the following recommendation, “Preventative controls are difficult to implement in this area, but detective controls can be effective in limiting the damage and preserving the audit trail.”
That’s where our robust database version control software comes in. TeamWork provides a lock mechanism that prevents privileged users from changing or deleting data, without being audited. This mechanism is an inherent part of the database, and is in effect regardless of the level the user. In other words, all modifications, alterations, and deletions will be dynamically captured, even for DBAs and other users with high levels of database permissions. So, the integrity of the information contained in databases is preserved, at all times.
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Thursday, December 23rd, 2010
There are countless benefits that can be achieved by integrating dbMaestro TeamWork™ with RTC. In prior posts, we talked about the ability to more comprehensively track changes across software code and database schemas and objects, as well as the ability to better align development projects with business needs. In our final post in this series, we’ll highlight how the seamless integration of these two important solutions can help companies more effectively enforce their change management policies.
Because of rigid compliance guidelines and strict internal policies, most IT organizations have formal software change management and database version control procedures in place. Yet, if the systems used by software and application developers to manage their activities are not closely linked with those used by database development teams, those policies will be nearly impossible to enforce.
But, when the TeamWork Oracle db change management solution is closely linked with RTC, IT organizations can ensure full adherence to all software and database change management policies, at all times. For example, they can define access rights to certain database objects, so only those developers who have been assigned related tasks can modify them. This increases productivity by preventing developers from wasting time on tasks that are irrelevant, not important, or can be delayed to address other, more critical activities.
Additionally, linking TeamWork with RTC offers many other benefits. It allows IT organizations to address code and database upgrades in a way that is more aligned with business requirements. It allows developers to provide stakeholders – including DBAs, application managers, and business executives – with a single report that outlines all changes made from both a database and a software perspective. And, it enables complete visibility into the entire history of all changes, so all those involved in a project can see “the big picture”.
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Tuesday, December 21st, 2010
Database administrators (DBAs) have a lot of responsibility. They oversee all aspects of the database, its maintenance, and its operation. And, in order to ensure that everything goes smoothly, they need complete visibility into all the activities being performed by the developers to the database objects. In other words, they must approve any changes to the schema or objects – before they are made.
But, this can cause problems, particularly in scenarios where a high volume of modifications are planned. Each individual alteration must be authorized by the DBA before it is made and implemented. And most modifications require several iterations, all of which will require DBA approval. But DBAs are quite busy, and typically can’t review proposed changes right away. The result is project delays.
Project Managers need to find a way to keep their projects on schedule, while ensuring that the DBAs they are accountable to are fully informed at all times. That’s where an Oracle database change management solution, like dbMaestro TeamWork™, can help.
Our robust, next-generation database version control solution provides DBAs with comprehensive reports on change activity and history. They can see what changes will be made, by whom, and why.
Developers can move forward with their changes, without disturbing the DBA, while the DBA can stay fully apprised of all that’s going on. Reports can be run at any time, so DBAs can review changes in progress at their convenience. Once all changes are approved and executed, the DBA can then move forward and run the upgrade script.
Furthermore, the DBA can use the internal permission mechanism within TeamWork to more efficiently manage database security. They can accomplish this by granting only partial access to developers. For example, they can allow a developer to change packages and procedures, but not the table structure. This will not only enhance security, it will make it easier for the DBA to check and approve changes, since mistakes are less likely to be made.
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Thursday, December 16th, 2010
In our last few posts, we discussed why RTC and dbMaestro TeamWork™ must work together, and how bringing the two together can help properly align business requirements with development activities.
As we continue to highlight the benefits that can be obtained by integrating our database change management solution with RTC, we’ll focus next on how the two solutions can work seamlessly together to enable more comprehensive and accurate tracking and monitoring of change histories.
In many IT environments, information about the changes made to software code are often stored separately from the details about the modifications made to underlying databases. For example, the software and application development team will track their changes in a software configuration management system, while database administrators and developers will use an Oracle database change management solution to do the same.
This silo’ed approach can create numerous problems. For example, it can minimize coordination and create disconnects between software and database development groups, making it difficult (or nearly impossible) for each to see what the other is doing. This, in turn, may cause conflicts and problems that can negatively impact database and application. And often, these issues won’t be detected until the changes are deployed into production.
But, when TeamWork and RTC are brought together, all project stakeholders will be empowered with a single, unified view of all changes made – to both the software code, and associated database schemas and objects. The entire history of modifications will be available in one single, easy to access place. So, it will be available for review or updating at any time. As a result, efficiency will be increased, and the risk of complications and problems in production environments caused by lack of synchronization between software and database developers will be virtually eliminated.
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Tuesday, December 14th, 2010
Whether you’re building software for internal use, or creating an application to be sold to customers, you’ve got one very important task to complete once you’ve finished making changes to the database – you must prepare the script that will execute the upgrade from the previous version to the new one.
Preparing this script can be quite time-consuming. It involves not only your database administrators, but your application database administrators and team leaders, as well developers and QA staff. These professionals usually participate in the generation of several iterations of the script, which can waste valuable resources – something your project manager wants to avoid.
Additionally, script preparation is often left until the final stages of the project, to ensure that it includes all changes made to the database throughout. However, in some scenarios, particularly those projects that have spanned long timeframes, the stakeholders may have forgotten what changes were made.
dbMaestro TeamWork™, our next-generation Oracle db change management solution, can streamline and accelerate this process by enabling you to closely govern the way modifications are made to your database. For example, you can create formal methodologies and procedures for database version control, and TeamWork will automatically enforce them any time schemas, objects, or other database content is being altered. So, the work performed by your development team will always be in compliance with your internal policies, as well as regulatory guidelines.
TeamWork’s value in this area has been proven time and time again in real-world scenarios. In fact, dbMaestro customers, like the Massachusetts Department of Education, have reported that the use of TeamWork has helped them to significantly speed up deployments by reducing the time needed to prepare upgrade scripts by as much as 95 percent.
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Thursday, December 9th, 2010
In our previous post Why IBM RTC and dbMaestro TeamWork Must Work Together, we began discussing the importance of integrating RTC with an Oracle database change management solution, dbMaestro TeamWork™. In this entry, we’ll highlight the first of the many advantages that can be realized through this integration – the ability to better align business requirements and development tasks.
Today’s IT projects, including software development, are very strategic in nature. This means, there are most likely critical business needs that are driving their planning and execution. Therefore, it is important to make sure that all related tasks and activities are carried out in such a way that they ensure that those requirements are being properly met.
But, if the modifications made to software code in RTC are not properly synchronized with those alterations made to the underlying application database in the TeamWork environment, the final deployment may not properly satisfy the original business needs, and problems may arise. This will not only be inconvenient for business users, it will require extensive re-work that will drain the productivity of development resources.
Additionally, if upgrades to software applications are not properly coordinated – in other words, if code changes do not take the database into consideration and vice versa – then the application will stop working. And, if the software doesn’t work, then business users will not be able to perform their jobs.
On the other hand, when RTC and TeamWork are seamlessly integrated, business requirements can be closely correlated with both software development and database development projects. Administrators on the software side, as well as those who oversee the databases, will be able to closely track all tasks and activities, so they can guarantee that the end result – when the changes are eventually deployed into production – will most efficiently and effectively satisfy business requirements.
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Monday, December 6th, 2010
Project managers are always seeking new ways to improve the flexibility and agility with which they oversee software development projects. And, while using software change management (SCM) solutions to manage application code – and any modifications made to it – does help significantly, it solves only a piece of the puzzle.
SCM solutions give project managers the ability to see a history of changes made, create “branches” (or replicated versions of code) to support quality control and assurance efforts, or to manage the correction of defects and bugs reported by customers or end users.
And while these benefits are substantial, the problem is this – SCM provides these capabilities only as they relate to software code. The underlying database that supports the application and stores related data is virtually ignored.
Without an Oracle db change management solution that is tightly integrated with the SCM environment, changes made to the database will be overlooked from a project management perspective. As a result, modifications made to software code may conflict with database elements, or negatively impact database operation. This, in turn, will cause the software application to stop working.
By implementing dbMaestro TeamWork™, our next-generation database configuration management solution, project managers can ensure that software and database changes are fully synchronized and closely tracked. And, more importantly, they can rest assured that database objects and related content will be managed much in the same way that software code is managed in the SCM system.
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Thursday, December 2nd, 2010
IBM Rational Team Concert (RTC) is a widely-used software development platform that enables companies to flexibly and collaboratively manage their software projects, such as developing new systems and applications, or making modifications and adding new capabilities to existing ones. Many IBM customers have chosen to extend and enhance RTC by also leveraging a database version control solution, like dbMaestro TeamWork™, to handle and track all the associated changes made to underlying databases as a result of software application development activities.
But, in order to achieve maximum benefits from both solutions, software code changes cannot take place in a “vacuum”. They must be seamlessly coordinated and linked with related Oracle database change management processes, to avoid conflicts and other problems, and to ensure optimum performance of production applications. That’s why it is so critical for RTC and TeamWork to work together, not separately, to form one unified, comprehensive environment that manages changes across the entire application landscape.
In fact, IBM Software News claimed that “dbMaestro Teamwork integration brings seamless, coordinated change and control management to application and Oracle database code releases for users of IBM Rational Team Concert”.
Over the next few posts, we’ll discuss integration of RTC and TeamWork in more detail, citing specific benefits that can be achieved by bringing these two, world-class solutions together.
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