Get to Know TARGIT InMemory

Originally published January 29, 2020. Updated March 20, 2024
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If you're new to TARGIT InMemory or want to know more about the value it would bring to your BI and Analytics strategy, you're in the right place.

TARGIT InMemory is a column-based, high data compression, in-memory database in the sense that every query is running on in-memory for blisteringly fast query speeds.

We've taken our decades of experience, thousands of projects, and innumerable consulting hours to create the perfect user experience. We’ve eliminated everything our customers dislike most about data integration. Simply put, this is the fastest, most elegant ETL process.

 

Get the Best of Both Worlds With This Technology

 

TARGIT InMemory works great in two key scenarios:

  1. high overviews of data like traditional cube technology
  2. highly detailed views on transaction level.

At the same time, you get an intense, fast load of your data, which makes the platform great for large data load scenarios and near real-time scenarios. Since the ETL process is running in-memory as well, you experience that transformation of data is many times faster than with traditional OLTP databases.

 

Discover the Benefits of TARGIT InMemory 

 

Cost efficiency

There’s no extra licensing for RAM or CPU Core counts, while many alternative solutions require licenses for every client that connects or a hardware-based model, making large solutions extremely costly.

Rapid deployment

TARGIT InMemory is rapidly deployed. A startup solution can be up and running in hours, bypassing the typically significant technical efforts required to get data warehouse creation and data modeling off the ground.

 

Simplicity

TARGIT InMemory is designed with an easy-to-understand ETL language. Administrators can increase the complexity as they need. For users, there’s a flat learning curve. Even non-technical users are sufficient in the platform with a one-day training course. 

 

Speed

TARGIT InMemory blows other database solutions out of the water when it comes to speed. In one particular customer case, the customer with an SQL data warehouse was loading 800 GB of data on properly sized hardware with an Analysis Services database on top. 

 

Flexibility

TARGIT InMemory comes with drivers for many data sources so users can query with SQL statements for data sources that typically require expert knowledge of specific query languages. You’ll find Microsoft SQL Server, Mongo DB, OData, CSV, Excel, and many more right at your fingertips. TARGIT also supports most standard ODBC, OLEDB, and ADO.NET drivers, delivering ultimate flexibility in data source choice.

 

Five Ways InMemory Streamlines Data Processing

 

Dealing with Inventory/Order Backlog Snapshots

 
There’s an inherent weakness with using an in-memory database – you don’t get to store anything. Everything is wiped out and reimported every time you load scripts. You notice it when you try to look at history for things like inventory or open orders.  
 
In most DMS or ERP systems, you see how many open orders you have at any given moment, but you can't get a historical perspective. For that you need snapshots. We found a way of using a file system to store snapshots and import them back into TARGIT InMemory.  
 

Loading Payroll Data

 
Tired of manually downloading employee payroll timesheet files from an FTP server into an existing solution? With TARGIT InMemory, you can put it all into the ETL and automate it.  
 
The secret is the SFTP driver we added to our growing list of connectors and drivers. If you haven’t used it for payroll, it’s time you do. The SFTP driver lets you connect to any FTP to download files. It also lets you check if you've already imported a file, so you don't have to download it again – a big timesaver. 
 
The best part? We have scripts available not only for loading payroll data but for many other processes.  
 

Exporting to SQL Server

 
Based on demand from customers and prospects with large data warehouses, we created this new feature that lets SQL server users take advantage of TARGIT InMemory by optimizing your ETL process. 
 
Essentially, you export data from TARGIT InMemory to an existing data warehouse, which allows you to do reporting as you always have, whether it's in an analysis services cube, reporting service, or Excel.  
 
This solves the problem of having to run an SSIS package for hours by letting you slowly transition over to TARGIT InMemory. This feature supports exporting any table or view or inserting it into a predefined table. If the table doesn’t exist, it creates one for you. It also allows truncating or dropping tables during the import process. 
 

Importing Weather Data

 
The forecast gets even brighter for TARGIT InMemory users with the weather service driver. This feature allows you to do more dynamic scripting with weather data rather than just manually downloading it. 
 
For instance, the weather driver lets you load a table that has zip codes for all your store locations, then look up weather data based on those zip codes. You can also set a time range and blend store and weather data. 
 
By using the weather driver, your script will automatically include the zip codes when you open new stores. You’ll also get a record of temperatures or precipitation totals by store in your reporting.  
 

ETL Studio Extensions

 
With InMemory's ETL studio extensions, any number of separate integratable script flows can be exported, then imported and re-designated to other scripts and containers. 
 
You can also share snippets from one script to another. Imagine the possibilities – you could have a library of different scripts and pieces of code that users can share and reuse across multiple solutions. 

 

See InMemory in Action

 

TARGIT InMemory comes with a range of database components, including the TARGIT ETL Studio for both basic and advanced data modeling.

The ETL toolset allows for easy drag-and-drop connections to a wide range of data sources as well as the full power for complex data abstraction with TARGIT’s easy-to-learn scripting language. Users with SQL skills already have everything they need to master TARGIT’s advanced scripting options.

You can see how it all comes together in our on-demand webinar. 

Deep Dive Into TARGIT InMemory

WATCH WEBINAR
Originally published December 13, 2018. Updated March 20, 2024

Jesper da Silva Endelt Written by
Jesper da Silva Endelt

Senior Solution Architect

If I had to summarize my entire career in one phrase, I’d say I’m a technology evangelist. Since my first day at TARGIT 16 years ago, I’ve been preaching the importance for companies to harness, analyze, and use their data proactively.