When did you last upgrade your database? Well, if it’s been a while, you need to consider a database upgrade now.
Usually, organizations, when asked why are the steel hell-bent on using the older version of the database in their enterprise application. They argue that everything performs well without glitches, and an update to the latest version might result in breaking functionalities.
Moreover, they say their application vendor doesn’t support the latest database version. Or, the upgrade is time-consuming and they can’t bear downtime.
But, think again. The outdated database versions, if not upgraded, are vulnerable and are prone to hacking. You may have come across the news of breaches like Anthem’s breach, which resulted in a leak of 80 thousand people’s confidential information.
Or, you might have heard of the Voter database in which almost 200 million identities were stolen. These breaches affect the trust customers put in your organization.
Apart from hackers being a threat, there are other issues that your organization is likely to run into if you don’t consider a database upgrade- lack of features, no technical support, no relevance with software vendors, and many more.
Well, if these might not be enough to convince you of a database upgrade. Here’s a list of solid ten reasons that will illuminate you to consider a database upgrade:
1. Security Issues
Databases are most vulnerable to cyber attacks as they are the easiest to breach through networks. When organizations don’t bat an eye towards upgrading their databases regularly, hackers get opportunities to break into systems — find and steal information.
When upgraded on a timely basis, databases are automatically incorporated with the latest security protection.
2. Better features
It’s a no-brainer that upgrades always come with improved and enhanced features. When Oracle offered the 12g version upgrade, almost all users were happy as the new version had increased their productivity.
The latest version had pluggable databases that made organizing categories and individual entries easier and quicker; this enhanced the overall productivity of the workforce.
3. Resolve Issues(Bugs)
Old or outdated database versions are difficult to troubleshoot if any bug arises. The technicians involved in the development or fixing the issues are busy improving the latest versions.
Using the updated database version means that internal bugs or technical issues can be reported. The technicians will be able to identify and resolve them as early as possible, thereby reducing downtime.
4. Reduce Costs
With every new upgrade, the hardware and software associated get optimized.
For example, when Oracle’s 11g upgrade rolled out, it significantly reduced the storage costs for organizations. The storage efficiency got increased up to 15 times of the last version.
Generally, an upgraded database version provides more storage and takes on more operations than its previous versions, thereby reducing the costs spent in an organization. Plus, the processes get sped up.
Simply put, the users can do more work in less time which reduces employee costs.
5. Support Team
When you are upgraded to the latest version, you are most likely to get the support system from the service provider assisting you with your queries in real-time or later in the future.
6. Cloud Migration
The upgraded versions provide a cloud platform that makes the database infrastructure of an organization flexible enough to meet its changing IT needs.
With only a few clicks, move an oracle 12c database to the cloud platform. Or vice versa- back to the on-premise system if need be. While updating the database, the update Postgres query is used to modify the records of a table.
7. Consolidation of Databases
With each update being more efficient, an organization can reduce the number of servers needed in a data center by leveraging the latest Database Multitenant Architecture. This helps the organizations plug multiple databases into a single container on a single system.
Put another way, fewer servers required means a huge cost-cutting in hardware, as well as the manpower required to support and manage these servers.
8. Application Vendor Support
It becomes almost compulsory to update database to stay relevant in the market as
application companies make use of the new database technology and set a minimum database requirement for their application.
While some vendors are stuck in the past, most of them stay with the trend. If you want to run those applications, it is recommended to keep yourself updated.
9. Reduced Labor
Every new oracle version comes with a plethora of new features and upgrades that save your time. While some believe that the new features are a means to put an end to DBA’s career, in reality, they are introduced to make tasks easy for you.
Certain features like automated memory management, undo management, unified auditing are designed to put a halt to DBA’s micromanagement in these areas. Automatically diagnose trouble areas and make recommendations using more advisors by enabling enhancement to Advisor Central.
10. Relevance in Marketplace
To stay in the market and to keep up with the competition, your IT system needs to be up to date. In-memory data stores, along with database sharding, can be utilized to provide the best database functionality for operations in your organization.
Your competitors might be upgrading and taking benefits from these latest tech upgrades, so you should too.
Conclusion
This list has provided you with enough reasons to upgrade to the latest database to stay protected from hackers trying to steal information, utilize better features to keep the pace up with your competitors, and stay relevant in the marketplace.
Cut out the cost by utilizing the time and resource-saving features to shoulder the burdens of your workforce. Avoid additional support fees or being devoid of customer support as well.
