Navigating the data maze: 5 essential questions to guide your tool selection

The text discusses the importance of understanding data structure and manipulation needs when selecting tools for handling data. It categorizes data into structured, semi-structured, and unstructured types, suggesting relational databases like MySQL or PostgreSQL for structured data, JSON or XML databases for semi-structured data, and NoSQL databases like Cassandra or Redis for unstructured data. The text also considers the frequency of data access (periodic or real-time), suggesting SQL databases like PostgreSQL or MySQL for periodic access and streaming technologies like Apache Kafka for real-time analytics. Furthermore, it emphasizes the importance of security and privacy requirements, suggesting tools like OneTrust or TrustArc for managing privacy compliance and platforms like Amazon RDS encryption or VeraCrypt for data masking and encryption. The text also discusses scalability strategies and emerging trends in data handling, such as real-time processing with Apache Kafka and AI integration with Hadoop and Spark. It concludes by encouraging businesses to stay informed about new developments and adopt DevOps practices and CI/CD pipelines for adaptability.