Category Archives: Inform, educate and entertain.

A general blog post category.

Building the Data Logistics Hub: Easy Introduction – 2026/02/12 – Part 0

12 Thu Feb 2026

Posted by in data mesh, data science, Data Supply Framework, Data Warehouse, Data Warehousing, Inform, educate and entertain., information, Information Supply Framework, Knowledge, knowledge management, Martyn Jones, Masterclass

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , ,


This Is Going To Be Absolutely Fabulous!

Martyn Rhisiart Jones

Bandoxa, 12th February 2026

Hold up there for a moment. Have I got something for you!

I may not be the father of Information Centres. I’m certainly not going to claim any of Bill Inmon’s achievements as my own. However, I have spent a professional lifetime wading in the data and information garlic. So, I do claim a rightful share of the credit.

And I am rightfully credited with founding the Data Logistics Hub design movement.

In an era where data is the lifeblood of organisations, it fuels decisions and powers AI. It enables innovation. It drives competitive advantage. The ability to move, integrate, share, and utilise that data efficiently has become a strategic imperative. Yet many enterprises still struggle with fragmented pipelines and siloed sources. They face compliance headaches and latency issues. There is also the sheer complexity of connecting data across clouds, on-premises systems, partners, and ecosystems.

Continue reading →

Data Warehouse Action: Big Business Drivers

11 Wed Feb 2026

Posted by in Inform, educate and entertain.

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , ,


Masterclass on the side!

Martyn Rhisiart Jones

Madrid, Saturday 31st January 2026

Martyn: The Enterprise Data Warehouse should be driven by business demand and nothing else.

Ed: What does that mean in practice?

Continue reading →

Fixing the Data Warehouse – 2026/02/10

10 Tue Feb 2026

Posted by in Inform, educate and entertain.

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , ,


Martyn Rhisiart Jones

Zamora, Tuesday 10th February 2026

What to say?

I was reading an article. It was written by Jeff Wilts and recommended by Bill Inmon. I got to this statement: “Teradata is a full-featured enterprise data warehouse.”  For me, it went further downhill from there.

It was very disheartening and deceptive. I decided to write an article about my thoughts on it. (Understanding the Data Warehouse Dilemma – 2026/02/07, https://goodstrat.com/2026/02/06/understanding-the-data-warehouse-dilemma-2026-02-07/).

As a result, many people approached me. They asked directly and indirectly if I would suggest ways and means to overcome or avoid those dilemmas.

This is the result.

Enjoy! But even better, let me know what you think.

Continue reading →

The Risks of Using Databricks for Data Warehousing

09 Mon Feb 2026

Posted by in Inform, educate and entertain.

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,


Get that Databricks Out of My Face!

Martyn Rhisiart Jones

Madrid, Monday 9th February 2026

You need not loathe Databricks outright. It is perfectly defensible if you do. This is particularly true when your principal objective is classical data warehousing. This includes structured BI reporting, dependable SQL analytics, and a governed single source of truth for business metrics. It also entails semantic clarity and predictable costs for read-heavy workloads.

There are solid, well-trodden reasons for that caveat. Many experienced data warehousing practitioners see Databricks as an awkward or even risky primary platform for traditional warehousing. This view is shared by some of the field’s foundational figures. The concern is not ideological. It is architectural. When used as a warehouse, Databricks often reproduces exactly the pathologies criticised in enterprise data programs. These include unnecessary complexity, misdirected effort, and the perennial executive question, “Which number should I trust?”

Continue reading →

What Every CEO Needs to Know About Big Data – Revisited – 2026/01/26

07 Sat Feb 2026

Posted by in All Data, Big Data, Big Data 7s, Big Data Analytics, business, Business Intelligence, business strategy, dark data, data architecture, Data governance, Data Lake, data management, data science, Data Supply Framework, Data Warehouse, Data Warehousing, Inform, educate and entertain., pig data, The Amazing Big Data Challenge, The Big Data Contrarians

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , ,


Martyn Richard Jones

New York City, 18th January 2017

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
Blue sky for professional data architecture and management

Scope

I’ll make this short, sweetish and to the point.

These are the arguments that CEOs need to know about Big Data.

It was written for CEOs and those who provide independent advice to CEOs.

If you are someone who wants to be prepared for CEOs who are armed with the realities of Big Data, then maybe this is for you too.

Point One: Big Data is bullshit

Continue reading →

The Madness of Brexit – Retrospective- 2026/01/25

07 Sat Feb 2026

Posted by in Brexit, Condiser this, Culture, Economics, Europe, European Union, Inform, educate and entertain., Philosophy, Politics, Social, Trade

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,


MADMartyn Jones

Carmarthen, Wales – 31st July 2017 

Many Brexiteers take a simplistic, restricted and shallow view of how the UK will leave the European Union.

It’s to be expected.

Some people are both wilfully ignorant and certain of their beliefs, even though their beliefs are no better than reactionary and rationalised prejudice, socialised absurdity and tidy-minded incongruence.

It’s to be expected. Continue reading →

MADMartyn Jones

Carmarthen, Wales – 31st July 2017 

Many Brexiteers take a simplistic, restricted and shallow view of how the UK will leave the European Union.

It’s to be expected.

Some people are both wilfully ignorant and certain of their beliefs, even though their beliefs are no better than reactionary and rationalised prejudice, socialised absurdity and tidy-minded incongruence.

It’s to be expected. Continue reading →

Understanding the Data Warehouse Dilemma – 2026/02/07

06 Fri Feb 2026

Posted by in Inform, educate and entertain.

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,


Martyn Rhisiart Jones

Madrid, Saturday 7th February 2026

Books from Martyn Rhisiart Jones https://www.amazon.es/stores/author/B086K5B97Y

What to say?

I was reading an article. It was written by Jeff Wilts and recommended by Bill Inmon. I got to this statement: “Teradata is a full-featured enterprise data warehouse.”  For me, it went further downhill from there.

But this was the coup de grace: “Databricks is a unified data platform that can behave like a data warehouse.” 

Continue reading →

UNIVAC: Predicting Elections and Defining Computing History – 2026/02/06

05 Thu Feb 2026

Posted by in Inform, educate and entertain.

≈ Leave a comment


Martyn Rhisiart Jones

Madrid, Thursday 5th February 2026

Anecdotes about UNIVAC and the early days of computing

UNIVAC and the Eisenhower Prediction

One of the most famous anecdotes involving UNIVAC was its prediction of the outcome of the 1952 U.S. presidential election between Dwight D. Eisenhower and Adlai Stevenson. As the first computer used for commercial purposes, UNIVAC was tasked with predicting the election results. On live television, UNIVAC correctly predicted Eisenhower’s victory, despite widespread scepticism about the machine’s accuracy.

Continue reading →

Big data’s unvirtuous circus and twelve v-words – Refresh – 2026/02/05

04 Wed Feb 2026

Posted by in agile, Big Data, Big Data 7s, Big Data Analytics, Inform, educate and entertain., The Amazing Big Data Challenge, The Big Data Contrarians

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , ,


Martyn Rhisiart Jones

Bonn, Germany, 2014

Many people come up to me in the street and ask me what big-data is all about. I have experienced this numerous times before. I am sure it might just happen to you as well. I know sort of thing, I read the big-data tea leaves. Nothing gets past me.

Continue reading →

Masterclass: What Are Surrogate Keys? – 2026/02/04

04 Wed Feb 2026

Posted by in data mesh, data science, Data Supply Framework, Data Warehouse, Data Warehousing, Inform, educate and entertain., information, Information Supply Framework, Knowledge, knowledge management, Martyn Jones, Masterclass

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,


Martyn Rhisiart Jones, Madrid, 4th February 2026.

Introduction

In data modelling and database design, keys play a fundamental role in uniquely identifying records and defining relationships between tables. One of the most widely used types of keys, especially in analytical systems and data warehouses, is the surrogate key.

A surrogate key is an artificial, system-generated identifier assigned to a record in a table. It is typically used as the primary key. It has no business meaning or semantic relationship to the real-world entity it represents. Common implementations include auto-incrementing integers or globally unique identifiers (GUIDs).

Surrogate keys exist purely to serve the needs of the database system: performance, stability, and simplicity.

Continue reading →