Buck Woody

Buck Woody has been working with Information Technology since 1981. He has worked for the U.S. Air Force, at an IBM reseller as technical support, and for NASA as well as U.S. Space Command as an IT contractor. He has worked in most all IT positions from computer repair technician to system and database administrator, and from network technician to IT Manager and with multiple platforms as a Data Professional. He has been a DBA and Database Developer on Oracle systems running on a VAX to SQL Server and DB2 installations. He has been a Simple-Talk DBA of the Day

Follow Buck Woody via

06 May 2014
06 May 2014

Which New Technology Should I Chase?

It is a question that almost anybody working in IT occasionally ask themselves. 'How can I best develop my career to make sure my skills and experience remain in demand?' The questions may be spurred by a variety of reasons, including job-insecurity, dissatisfaction, or a wish for career advancement. So what advice would you give? Buck Woody tackles the difficult question with some straight-forward advice..… Read more
21 March 2014
21 March 2014

Data Science Laboratory System – Distributed File Databases

Distributed File Databases manage large amounts of unstructured or semi-structured data. They are designed on the principle of splitting up the data into multiple locations, and then placing the code that processes each fragment close, or directly on, that location. Buck Woody shows how to install Hadoop in your Data Science lab to experiment with an example of the breed.… Read more
04 December 2013
04 December 2013

Data Science Laboratory System – Graph Databases

Graph database are an intriguing alternative to the relational model. They apply graph theory to record the relationships between entries more naturally, and are a good fit for a range of data tasks that are difficult in SQL. Buck Woody gives an introduction to Graph databases and shows how to get Neo4J up and running to get familiar with the technology.… Read more
17 July 2013
17 July 2013

Data Science Laboratory System – Key/Value Pair Systems

Though the Key/Value pair paradigm is common to almost every computer language, there is no clear agreement yet for the definition of a Key/Value Pair database. However, Key/Value pair databases are valuable for special applications where speed of writing data is more important than searching and general versatility. It is certainly worth experimenting with in a data science lab.… Read more
07 June 2012
07 June 2012

The Lure of Simplicity in IT

A deceptively simple solution to a business-re-engineering problem can beguile companies into selecting a compromise that doesn't actually meet all their needs. Simple is great, but not at the expense of functionality. Some IT solutions are complex because the problem is complex, but they can be made conceptually clearer… Read more
27 February 2012
27 February 2012

The ASs of Distributed Computing

What's The 'Cloud'? nothing more than one or more of three different types of distributed service, conceptually similar to any other service such as telephone or gas. These services provide Infrastructure, Software and platform. Buck Woody cuts a trail through the jungle of marketing verbiage to reveal the technology behind the Cloud..… Read more