Here's the net takeaway: Businesses want insights from data they can translate into meaningful actions and real results. Software vendors are beginning to deliver a new generation of advanced analytics packages that address business issues directly. In this O'Reilly report, Mike Barlow reveals how this new user-friendly software is helping businesses go beyond data analysis and straight to decision-making—without requiring data science expertise or truckloads of cash. How has advanced analytics progressed from lab project to commercial product so quickly? Through interviews with data analysts, you'll understand the role that machine learning plays in specialized analytics packages, and how this software alone can make decisions based on what's likely to happen next. When you have these capabilities, you’ve reached "the last mile of analytics."

IBM® Spectrum™ Accelerate, a member of the IBM Spectrum Storage™, is an agile software-defined storage solution for enterprise and cloud that builds on the customer-proven and mature IBM XIV® storage software. The key characteristic of Spectrum Accelerate is that it can be easily deployed and run on purpose-built or existing hardware chosen by the customer. IBM Spectrum Accelerate enables rapid deployment of high-performance and scalable block data storage infrastructure over commodity hardware, either on-premises or off-premises. This IBM Redbooks® publication provides a broad understanding of IBM Spectrum Accelerate. The book introduces Spectrum Accelerate and discusses planning and preparation that are essential for a successful deployment of the solution. The deployment itself is explained through a step-by-step approach, using either a graphical user interface (GUI) based method or a simple command-line interface (CLI) based procedure. Subsequent chapters explain the logical configuration of the system, host support and business continuity functions, and migration. Although it makes many references to the XIV storage software, the book also emphasizes where IBM Spectrum Accelerate differs from XIV. Finally, a substantial portion of the book is dedicated to maintenance and troubleshooting to provide detailed guidance for the customer support personnel.

A practical roadmap for database upgrade, migration, and transformation This Oracle Press guide provides best practices for migrating between different operating systems and platforms, transforming existing databases to use different storage or enterprise systems, and upgrading databases from one release to the next. Based on the expert authors’ real-world experience, Oracle Database Upgrade, Migration & Transformation Tips & Techniques will help you choose the best migration path for your project and develop an effective methodology. Code examples and detailed checklists are included in this comprehensive resource. Leverage the features of Oracle Data Guard to migrate an Oracle Database Use Oracle Recovery Manager, transportable tablespace sets, and transportable database toolsets to migrate between platforms Migrate databases with export/import Use Oracle GoldenGate for zero or near-zero downtime migrations Take advantage of the Cross-Platform Transportable Tablespace Set utility Migrate to new storage platforms using the features of Oracle Automatic Storage Management Upgrade to Oracle Database 12c with the Database Upgrade Assistant tool Move seamlessly to Oracle's engineered systems Migrate to the cloud

SAP ERP modules are notoriously hard to configure and use effectively without a lot of practice and experience. But as SAP ERP Financial Accounting and Controlling : Configuration and Use Management shows, it doesn't have to be so difficult. The book takes a systematic approach that leads SAP Financial Accounting and Controlling (FICO) users step by step through configuring and using all the program’s facets. This approach makes configuration complexities manageable. The book’s author—SAP expert, trainer, and accountant Andrew Okungbowa—ensures that both you and your end users are up and running quickly and confidently with FICO. He also provides sound and tested procedures that ensure your implementation works without error. SAP ERP Financial Accounting and Controlling : Configuration and Use Management is in fact the most comprehensive and easy-to-follow SAP FICO configuration book in the market. It incorporates a hands-on approach, with hundreds of screen shots and practical examples, that allows a person without prior configuration training to make SAP FICO ready for use in the enterprise. You’ll find that you don’t need to be a rocket scientist to grasp the concepts explained and apply them to your work—even when the finances are complicated, such as with the ins and outs of taxes, currency conversions, or special general ledger entries such as down payments or bills of exchange. Providing an in-depth coverage of both configuration and end user procedures, the book covers most aspects of the SAP FICO certification syllabus—SAP’s view of the module’s key tasks and procedures—including: Configuring and using the general ledger and accounts payable and receivable screens Configuring and completing closing procedures, asset accounting, and financial reporting Configuring global settings and enterprise variables Accounting for both profit and cost centers Creating a house bank Integrating FICO with other SAP modules Taking a jargon-free tone and providing an abundance of examples, Andrew Okungbowa provides a clear understanding of configuration techniques and the breadth of functionalities encompassed by SAP FICO. And as an accountant, Okungbowa understands the needs of end users as well as of those answering to the CIO.

This IBM® Redbooks® publication describes IBM TXSeries® for Multiplatforms, which is the premier IBM distributed transaction processing software for business-critical applications. Before describing distributed transaction processing in general, we introduce the most recent version of TXSeries for Multiplatforms. We focus on the following areas: The technical value of TXSeries for Multiplatforms New features in TXSeries for Multiplatforms Core components of TXSeries Common TXSeries deployment scenarios Deployment, development, and administrative choices Technical considerations It also demonstrates enterprise integration with products, such as relational database management system (RDBMS), IBM WebSphere® MQ, and IBM WebSphere Application Server. In addition, it describes system customization, reviewing several features, such as capacity planning, backup and recovery, and high availability (HA). We describe troubleshooting in TXSeries. We also provide details about migration from version to version for TXSeries. A migration checklist is included. We demonstrate a sample application that we created, called BigBlueBank, its installation, and the server-side and client-side programs. Other topics in this book include application development and system administration considerations. This book describes distributed IBM Customer Information Control System (IBM CICS®) solutions, and how best to develop distributed CICS applications.

A unique, in-depth guide to options pricing and valuing their greeks, along with a four dimensional approach towards the impact of changing market circumstances on options How to Calculate Options Prices and Their Greeks is the only book of its kind, showing you how to value options and the greeks according to the Black Scholes model but also how to do this without consulting a model. You'll build a solid understanding of options and hedging strategies as you explore the concepts of probability, volatility, and put call parity, then move into more advanced topics in combination with a four-dimensional approach of the change of the P&L of an option portfolio in relation to strike, underlying, volatility, and time to maturity. This informative guide fully explains the distribution of first and second order Greeks along the whole range wherein an option has optionality, and delves into trading strategies, including spreads, straddles, strangles, butterflies, kurtosis, vega-convexity, and more. Charts and tables illustrate how specific positions in a Greek evolve in relation to its parameters, and digital ancillaries allow you to see 3D representations using your own parameters and volumes. The Black and Scholes model is the most widely used option model, appreciated for its simplicity and ability to generate a fair value for options pricing in all kinds of markets. This book shows you the ins and outs of the model, giving you the practical understanding you need for setting up and managing an option strategy. Understand the Greeks, and how they make or break a strategy See how the Greeks change with time, volatility, and underlying Explore various trading strategies Implement options positions, and more Representations of option payoffs are too often based on a simple two-dimensional approach consisting of P&L versus underlying at expiry. This is misleading, as the Greeks can make a world of difference over the lifetime of a strategy. How to Calculate Options Prices and Their Greeks is a comprehensive, in-depth guide to a thorough and more effective understanding of options, their Greeks, and (hedging) option strategies.

The ultimate beginner's guide to SPSS and statistical analysis SPSS Statistics For Dummies is the fun and friendly guide to mastering SPSS. This book contains everything you need to know to get up and running quickly with this industry-leading software, with clear, helpful guidance on working with both the software and your data. Every chapter of this new edition has been updated with screenshots and steps that align with SPSS 23.0. You'll learn how to set up the software and organize your workflow, then delve deep into analysis to discover the power of SPSS capabilities. You'll discover the mechanics behind the calculations, perform predictive analysis, produce informative graphs, and maximize your data, even if it's been awhile since your last statistics class. SPSS is the leading statistical software for social sciences, marketing, health care, demography, government, education, data mining, and more. This powerful package gives you the tools you need to get more out of your data, and this book is your beginner-friendly guide to getting the most out of the software. Install and configure SPSS and learn the basics of how it works Master the process of getting data into SPSS and manipulating it to produce results See how to display data in dozens of different graphic formats to fit specific needs Make SPSS manufacture the numbers you want and take advantage of the many analysis options Discover ways to customize the SPSS interface and the look of your results, edit graphics and pivot tables, and program SPSS with Command Syntax Statistical analysis is crucial to so many industries, and accuracy and efficiency are crucial. SPSS offers you the capability to deliver, but you still must know how to take utmost advantage of the tools at your fingertips. SPSS Statistics For Dummies shows you how to handle data like a pro, with step-by-step instruction and expert advice.

Dive into creating highly scalable and performant applications with this comprehensive guide to the Infinispan data grid platform. Designed for Java enterprise developers, this book provides clear and approachable instructions for implementing sophisticated data management solutions using Infinispan. What this Book will help me do Install and configure Infinispan for optimized development environments. Understand and implement data caching topologies for diverse access patterns. Leverage scalable distributed transactions with detailed Apache JGroups integrations. Monitor and manage Infinispan instances using cutting-edge tools like RHQ and JMX. Develop a real-world application using Infinispan's APIs for practical insights. Author(s) The author(s) of this book are seasoned Java developers and experts in distributed caching and data grid technologies. With years of industry experience, they bring theoretical insights paired with pragmatic application know-how. Their approach emphasizes teaching through real-life use cases, practical applications, and clear explanations, making complex concepts accessible to all readers. Who is it for? This book is perfect for Java enterprise developers who are looking to elevate their architecture skills by building applications that demand scalability and high performance. Readers should have a solid understanding of Java, though no prior experience using Infinispan is required. Whether you're transitioning from traditional databases or improving your grasp of distributed caching, this book suits your needs.

Records management helps users address evolving governance mandates to meet regulatory, legal, and fiduciary requirements. Proactive adherence to information retention policies and procedures is a critical facet of any compliance strategy. IBM® Enterprise Records helps organizations enforce centralized policy management for file plans, retention schedules, legal preservation holds, and auditing. IBM Enterprise Records enables your organization to securely capture, declare, classify, store, and dispose of electronic and physical records. In this IBM Redbooks® publication, we introduce the records management concept and provide an overview of IBM Enterprise Records. We address records management topics, including the retention schedule, file plan, records ingestion and declaration, records disposition, records hold, and Enterprise Records application programming interfaces (APIs). We also use a case study to describe step-by-step instructions to implement a sample records management solution using Enterprise Records. We provide concrete examples of how to perform tasks, such as file plan creation, records ingestion and declaration, records disposition, and records hold. This book helps you to understand the records management concept, the IBM Enterprise Records features and capabilities, and its use.

Dive into Neo4j and uncover how to harness its powerful capabilities in graph data analysis with the Neo4j Cookbook. Across 75 well-structured recipes, you'll learn to apply practical techniques in modeling, querying, and visualizing graph databases, enabling you to address real-world challenges efficiently. What this Book will help me do Access Neo4j from popular programming languages such as Java, Python, and Scala, enabling easier integration into your projects. Migrate data seamlessly from various data stores, including SQL and NoSQL, into Neo4j, maintaining data consistency. Use best practices for data modeling with Neo4j to optimize performance and scalability for your applications. Analyze social data from sources like Facebook and Twitter, revealing valuable insights from connections and relationships. Integrate geospatial data to enable location-based queries and nearest-point searches, opening up advanced application features. Author(s) Ankur Goel, the author of Neo4j Cookbook, is an experienced technologist with an extensive background in handling database solutions and applications. Passionate about simplifying complex systems, Ankur excels in teaching essential database concepts through clear and actionable recipes. His writing is rooted in practical insights, reflecting his hands-on experience in the industry. Who is it for? This book is ideal for developers and data engineers who currently use or plan to integrate Neo4j into their workflows. If you are migrating from a traditional database system or delving into graph databases for the first time, this book offers structured guidance. Readers should have a fundamental understanding of programming and familiarity with database concepts for the best experience. It caters to individuals aiming to build or enhance data-driven applications using Neo4j's robust graph modeling.

Healthy SQL is about ensuring the ongoing performance health of a SQL Server database. An unhealthy database is not just an inconvenience; it can bring a business to its knees. And if you are the database administrator, the health of your SQL Server implementation can be a direct reflection on you. It's in everyone's best interest to have a healthy SQL implementation. Healthy SQL is built around the concept of a medical checkup, giving you the tools you need to assess the current health of your database and take action to improve upon that health and maintain good performance to your business. Healthy SQL aids in developing a rigorous routine so that you know how healthy your SQL Server machines are, and how you can keep those same servers healthy and fit for duty. The book is filled with practical advice and a time-tested strategy, helping you put together a regimen that will ensure your servers are healthy, your implementation is fully optimized, your services are redundant and highly available, and you have a plan for business continuity in the event of a disaster. If your current environment doesn't match up with these criteria, then pick up a copy of Healthy SQL today and start your journey on the road to a fit and tight SQL Server deployment.

Today's global organizations depend on being able to unlock business insights from massive volumes of data. Now, with IBM® FlashSystem™ 900, powered by IBM FlashCore™ technology, they can make faster decisions based on real-time insights and unleash the power of the most demanding applications, including online transaction processing (OLTP) and analytics databases, virtual desktop infrastructures (VDIs), technical computing applications, and cloud environments. This IBM Redbooks® publication introduces clients to the IBM FlashSystem® 900. It provides in-depth knowledge of the product architecture, software and hardware, implementation, and hints and tips. Also illustrated are use cases that show real-world solutions for tiering, flash-only, and preferred-read, and also examples of the benefits gained by integrating the FlashSystem storage into business environments. This book is intended for pre-sales and post-sales technical support professionals and storage administrators, and for anyone who wants to understand how to implement this new and exciting technology. This book describes the following offerings of the IBM Spectrum™ Storage family: IBM Spectrum Storage™ IBM Spectrum Control IBM Spectrum Virtualize IBM Spectrum Scale IBM Spectrum Accelerate

Leverage the integration of SQL Server and Office for more effective BI Applied Microsoft Business Intelligence shows you how to leverage the complete set of Microsoft tools—including Microsoft Office and SQL Server—to better analyze business data. This book provides best practices for building complete BI solutions using the full Microsoft toolset. You will learn how to effectively use SQL Server Analysis and Reporting Services, along with Excel, SharePoint, and other tools to provide effective and cohesive solutions for the enterprise. Coverage includes BI architecture, data queries, semantic models, multidimensional modeling, data analysis and visualization, performance monitoring, data mining, and more, to help you learn to perform practical business analysis and reporting. Written by an author team that includes a key member of the BI product team at Microsoft, this useful reference provides expert instruction for more effective use of the Microsoft BI toolset. Use Microsoft BI suite cohesively for more effective enterprise solutions Search, analyze, and visualize data more efficiently and completely Develop flexible and scalable tabular and multidimensional models Monitor performance, build a BI portal, and deploy and manage the BI Solution

Together, big data and analytics have tremendous potential to improve the way we use precious resources, to provide more personalized services, and to protect ourselves from unexpected and ill-intentioned activities. To fully use big data and analytics, an organization needs a system of insight. This is an ecosystem where individuals can locate and access data, and build visualizations and new analytical models that can be deployed into the IT systems to improve the operations of the organization. The data that is most valuable for analytics is also valuable in its own right and typically contains personal and private information about key people in the organization such as customers, employees, and suppliers. Although universal access to data is desirable, safeguards are necessary to protect people's privacy, prevent data leakage, and detect suspicious activity. The data reservoir is a reference architecture that balances the desire for easy access to data with information governance and security. The data reservoir reference architecture describes the technical capabilities necessary for a system of insight, while being independent of specific technologies. Being technology independent is important, because most organizations already have investments in data platforms that they want to incorporate in their solution. In addition, technology is continually improving, and the choice of technology is often dictated by the volume, variety, and velocity of the data being managed. A system of insight needs more than technology to succeed. The data reservoir reference architecture includes description of governance and management processes and definitions to ensure the human and business systems around the technology support a collaborative, self-service, and safe environment for data use. The data reservoir reference architecture was first introduced in Governing and Managing Big Data for Analytics and Decision Makers, REDP-5120, which is available at: http://www.redbooks.ibm.com/redpieces/abstracts/redp5120.html. This IBM® Redbooks publication, Designing and Operating a Data Reservoir, builds on that material to provide more detail on the capabilities and internal workings of a data reservoir.

This IBM® Redbooks® publication updates and complements the previous publication: Implementing the IBM General Parallel File System in a Cross Platform Environment, SG24-7844, with additional updates since the previous publication version was released with IBM General Parallel File System (GPFS™). Since then, two releases have been made available up to the latest version of IBM Spectrum™ Scale 4.1. Topics such as what is new in Spectrum Scale, Spectrum Scale licensing updates (Express/Standard/Advanced), Spectrum Scale infrastructure support/updates, storage support (IBM and OEM), operating system and platform support, Spectrum Scale global sharing - Active File Management (AFM), and considerations for the integration of Spectrum Scale in IBM Tivoli® Storage Manager (Spectrum Protect) backup solutions are discussed in this new IBM Redbooks publication. This publication provides additional topics such as planning, usability, best practices, monitoring, problem determination, and so on. The main concept for this publication is to bring you up to date with the latest features and capabilities of IBM Spectrum Scale as the solution has become a key component of the reference architecture for clouds, analytics, mobile, social media, and much more. This publication targets technical professionals (consultants, technical support staff, IT Architects, and IT Specialists) responsible for delivering cost effective cloud services and big data solutions on IBM Power Systems™ helping to uncover insights among clients' data so they can take actions to optimize business results, product development, and scientific discoveries.

"Mastering Pandas for Finance" takes a deep dive into applying Python and the pandas library to solve real-world financial data analysis problems. With a focus on financial modeling, backtesting trading strategies, and analyzing large datasets, this book equips you with the skills to leverage pandas effectively. What this Book will help me do Utilize pandas DataFrame for efficient financial data handling and manipulation. Develop robust time-series models and perform statistical analysis on financial data. Backtest algorithmic trading strategies including momentum and mean reversion. Price complex financial options and calculate Value at Risk for portfolio management. Optimize portfolio allocation and model financial performance using industry techniques. Author(s) Michael Heydt is an experienced software engineer and data scientist with a strong background in quantitative finance. He specializes in using Python for data analysis and has spent years teaching and writing about technical subjects. His detailed yet approachable writing style makes complex topics accessible to all. Who is it for? "Mastering Pandas for Finance" is perfect for finance professionals seeking to integrate Python into their workflows, data analysts exploring quantitative finance applications, and programmers aiming to specialize in financial analytics. Some baseline Python and pandas knowledge is recommended, but the book is structured to guide you effectively through advanced concepts too.

Design Databases with Oracle SQL Developer Data Modeler In this practical guide, Oracle ACE Director Heli Helskyaho explains the process of database design using Oracle SQL Developer Data Modeler—the powerful, free tool that flawlessly supports Oracle and other database environments, including Microsoft SQL Server and IBM DB2. Oracle SQL Developer Data Modeler for Database Design Mastery covers requirement analysis, conceptual, logical, and physical design, data warehousing, reporting, and more. Create and deploy high-performance enterprise databases on any platform using the expert tips and best practices in this Oracle Press book. Configure Oracle SQL Developer Data Modeler Perform requirement analysis Translate requirements into a formal conceptual data model and process models Transform the conceptual (logical) model into a relational model Manage physical database design Generate data definition language (DDL) scripts to create database objects Design a data warehouse database Use subversion for version control and to enable a multiuser environment Document an existing database Use the reporting tools in Oracle SQL Developer Data Modeler Compare designs and the database

This innovative book recognizes the need within the object-oriented community for a book that goes beyond the tools and techniques of the typical methodology book. In Analysis Patterns: Reusable Object Models, Martin Fowler focuses on the end result of object-oriented analysis and design—the models themselves. He shares with you his wealth of object modeling experience and his keen eye for identifying repeating problems and transforming them into reusable models. Analysis Patterns provides a catalogue of patterns that have emerged in a wide range of domains including trading, measurement, accounting and organizational relationships. Recognizing that conceptual patterns cannot exist in isolation, the author also presents a series of "support patterns" that discuss how to turn conceptual models into software that in turn fits into an architecture for a large information system. Included in each pattern is the reasoning behind their design, rules for when they should and should not be used, and tips for implementation. The examples presented in this book comprise a cookbook of useful models and insight into the skill of reuse that will improve analysis, modeling and implementation.

Beginning Oracle PL/SQL gets you started in using the built-in language that every Oracle developer and database administrator must know. Oracle Database is chock-full of built-in application features that are free for the using, and PL/SQL is your ticket to learning about and using those features from your own code. With it, you can centralize business logic in the database, you can offload application logic, and you can automate database- and application-administration tasks. Author Don Bales provides in Beginning Oracle PL/SQL a fast-paced and example-filled tutorial. Learn from Don’s extensive experience to discover the most commonly used aspects of PL/SQL, without wasting time on obscure and obsolete features. The author takes his 20+ years of experience and a wealth of statistics he's gathered on PL/SQL usage over those years and applies the 80/20 rule: cover what's most needed and used by PL/SQL professionals and avoid what's not necessary! The result is a book that covers all the key features of PL/SQL without wasting your time discussing esoteric and obsolete parts of the language. Learn what really matters, so that you can get to work feeling confident with what you know about PL/SQL. Covers the key topics that matter, including variables and datatypes, executing statements, working with cursors, bulk operations, real-world objects, debugging, testing, and more. Teaches you to write production-level, object-oriented PL/SQL. You'll explore relational PL/SQL, but unlike most other books on the subject, this one emphasizes the use of PL/SQLs object-oriented features as well. Guides you in working through real examples of using of PL/SQL. You'll learn PL/SQL by applying it to real-world business problems, not by heavy theory.

Collecting Bayesian material scattered throughout the literature, this volume examines the latest methodological and applied aspects of Bayesian statistics. The book covers biostatistics, econometrics, reliability and risk analysis, spatial statistics, image analysis, shape analysis, Bayesian computation, clustering, uncertainty assessment, high-energy astrophysics, neural networking, fuzzy information, objective Bayesian methodologies, empirical Bayes methods, small area estimation, and many more topics. Each chapter is self-contained, gives an overview of the area, presents theoretical insights, and emphasizes applications through motivating examples.