March 2024 Summaries

Starburst Enterprise Platform (SEP) 438-e STS builds upon the earlier 435-e LTS release and is based on Trino 438, offering new enterprise features and enhancements.

Dell has introduced the Dell Data Lakehouse, an integrated data platform developed in partnership with Starburst, designed to unify and optimize data from various sources, including on-premises, hybrid, and multicloud environments, to accelerate AI and analytics projects. This platform leverages Dell's AI-optimized hardware and the Starburst query engine, which is based on the open-source Trino project, to enhance data querying and management without requiring data movement, thereby improving information retrieval speed by 90% and reducing total cost of ownership by 53%. It supports open table formats like Apache Iceberg, ensuring data sovereignty and security while facilitating decentralized self-service data access. The collaboration between Dell and Starburst aims to modernize data infrastructure, streamline data processing, and enable advanced AI initiatives, presenting a scalable and future-proof solution for businesses seeking to maximize the value from their data assets.

Dell has launched the Dell Data Analytics Engine, powered by Starburst, to unify and optimize data across on-premises, hybrid, and multicloud environments, enhancing the efficiency of AI and analytics projects. This integrated platform, featuring Dell's AI-optimized hardware and Starburst's advanced query engine based on the open-source Trino project, accelerates data access by up to 90% and reduces total cost of ownership by 53%. The solution eliminates data silos, enabling federated queries without the need for data movement, thereby supporting efficient data management and analysis. It also ensures data security and sovereignty while utilizing open table formats like Apache Iceberg, promoting a more decentralized and democratized data access model. The collaboration between Dell and Starburst marks a significant shift in data management and analysis, aiming to maximize data value and drive future business growth.

Data migration is a crucial aspect of modern digital transformation, focusing on the strategic relocation of data across systems, with an emphasis on cloud adoption to enhance efficiency, scalability, and innovation. The process involves meticulous planning and execution phases, leveraging tools such as SQL, Trino, and Starburst to ensure smooth transitions, cost-effectiveness, and productivity improvements. Key steps include migrating data, ETL pipelines, and analytical tools like reports and dashboards while maintaining data integrity and governance. The transition from traditional systems like Hadoop to Cloud Data Lakes using solutions such as Apache Iceberg, Delta Lake, and Apache Hudi highlights the strategic shift towards agile, efficient, and cost-effective data management. This involves not just technical upgrades but also strategic moves to streamline operations, minimize costs, and enhance data accessibility and reliability, ultimately facilitating deeper data-driven insights.

Starburst Enterprise 435-e LTS release introduces a suite of enhancements aimed at improving the functionality, security, and performance of its open data lakehouse platform. This long-term support release adds Apache Hudi as a supported connector alongside Apache Iceberg and Delta Lake, expanding data source compatibility facilitated by Trino. It includes schema discovery in public preview to streamline data accessibility and governance, while the integration with Apache Ranger for location privileges enhances data security and compliance. The release also brings general availability for SCIM, enabling synchronization of users and groups for consistent access control, and introduces a Neo4j connector and improved compatibility with Amazon Athena. Additional enhancements include MongoDB Kerberos credential pass-through for secure authentication, SingleStore parallel read operations for performance boosts, and support for Java 21, emphasizing Starburst's commitment to evolving its platform for advanced data analytics.

The Dell Data Lakehouse, powered by Starburst, is a comprehensive data platform designed to unify and optimize data across on-premises, hybrid, and multi-cloud environments, enabling organizations to accelerate AI and analytics initiatives. By eliminating the need for ETL processes, it allows for fast access to disparate data and reduces data movement, enhancing workflows through the use of open table formats like Iceberg and Delta. This platform is built on Dell hardware and incorporates Starburst's query engine, enabling seamless data querying without relocation, thus ensuring data sovereignty and security. With a focus on future-proof architecture, lower total cost of ownership, and faster time to insights, the Dell Data Lakehouse aims to democratize data access and enable decentralized self-service data utilization. The collaboration between Dell and Starburst marks a significant advancement in data management, offering a scalable solution that propels businesses forward by maximizing the value of their data assets.

The Dell Data Analytics Engine, powered by Starburst, revolutionizes data management by providing a unified platform that accelerates AI and analytics processes, reduces costs, and ensures future-proof architecture. By leveraging Dell's infrastructure and Starburst's renowned query engine, this integrated solution allows organizations to seamlessly access and query data across on-premises, hybrid, and multi-cloud environments without the need for data movement, thus enhancing data sovereignty and security. The engine supports open-table formats like Iceberg and Delta, preventing vendor lock-in and facilitating democratized data access, which empowers more users to derive insights rapidly and fosters innovation. This collaboration marks a significant advancement in how organizations handle complex data landscapes, enabling them to optimize data operations and drive data-driven decision-making efficiently.

Starburst has clarified its position regarding the support of Trino Community Connectors within the Starburst Enterprise Platform, stating that these connectors, although included in the platform's distribution, are not formally supported by Starburst but instead by the Trino community. While these connectors, such as Accumulo, Cassandra, and Elasticsearch, remain accessible, their inclusion comes without the testing or enhancements typically provided by Starburst, and the company reserves the right to remove any that pose stability or security risks. However, Starburst recognizes the importance of some Community Connectors to users and has established a process for promoting specific connectors to fully supported status, which involves thorough testing and collaboration with the company's Engineering, Product, and Support teams. Users interested in obtaining formal support for a particular Community Connector are encouraged to contact their Starburst Technical Account Manager or Solution Architect to initiate this process.