Challenge Overview
We need help from the TopCoder community to implement Part 2 of the DBMV schema conversion tool that will make it easy for Business Systems Analysts, DevOps Engineers, Developers, Database Administrators, and Data Scientists to move data from an existing SQL Server on Azure database into Actian Vector. If you choose to accept this challenge, you will be building off the latest functionality implemented in Part 1 of this challenge.
What is Actian Vector?
Actian Vector is a high-performance vectorized column store analytical database designed for high performance analytics by Actian Corporation. Actian Vector was designed from the ground up to exploit performance features in today’s x86_64 CPUs with features such as vectorization and larger chip caches that enable in-chip analytics.
Actian Vector In-Memory Hybrid Data Analytics Database is built for “out-the-box” speed without the need for tuning (even on entry-level commodity hardware), and achieved incredible results in the independent TPC BenchmarkTMH (TPC-H) against all other Enterprise analytics databases as it scales to handle large datasets:
- Top 5 results for SF100 (100GB, 2011 – 2013, all historical results)
- Top 4 results for SF300 (300GB, 2011 – 2013, all historical results)
- Top result for SF3000 (Scale Factor 3000 GBs, or 3TB database size, 2016)
Recent independent Cloud Database Performance benchmark studies also shows the superior performance of Actian Vector compared to Amazon Redshift and Microsoft SQL Server.
Actian Vector Community Edition, which is totally free and supports up to 250GB of uncompressed data. You can install it on your laptop or simply launch it via the AWS Marketplace or Azure Marketplace. Free help is available in the Vector Community forums, knowledge base and official documentation.
What is DBMV?
DBMV is a database schema conversion tool. dbmv.py helps you to move one database schema to another database if you have a 'live' connection available to both source and target databases. ODBC is used to both manage metadata about the schemas and to transfer data (if required), so Python-accessible ODBC drivers are required on the execution machine.
Requirements for Part 2
In this challenge, you will be implementing the 13 requirements that are detailed in the specification we have provided in the Challenge Forum. Use this spreadsheet to track your completion of the work and to share any additional comments you may have relating to each requirement implemented. You must not break any existing functionality and should be able to demonstrate this in your validation tests.Final Submission Guidelines
For the Schema Conversion Tool, you MUST build-on/improve-on Actian’s DBMV. https://github.com/ActianCorp/dbmv Is where you will find the latest version of DBMV and this version includes the work completed in Part 1.
Need help with something?
- Please use the TopCoder forums for any questions relating to completing this challenge e.g. to clarify a requirement.
- Please use the Actian Vector community forum for questions relating to how to use Actian Vector e.g. to ask a question about SQL data types supported by Actian Vector.
Valid submissions require:
- Each feature needs to include inline code documentation for how to use it
- ZIP file of all the fully documented code needed to run the package
- The readme file should include installation and setup instructions.
- The package should include sample data for each Source database, along with detailed instructions on how to use the package to move the data to Actian Vector.
- A short screencast walkthrough that demonstrates the tool working as intended (make the video available as an .mp4 file or share privately on YouTube or Vimeo).
- IMPORTANT: Include a file called "Submission details" with your entry. Include the following information:
- Actian ID – you created this when you registered on the Actian Community
- Links to any websites, source code repositories, videos, and blog posts related to this challenge that you have online
- Links to any and all data sources used in your submission
- If you are one of the winners and you would like Actian to contact you about opportunities to have your entry featured on the Actian blog, please confirm your interest and provide your full name and email address
- If you would like someone from Actian to contact you, please provide your full name, email address and a brief description of what you would like to discuss so that we can connect you with the appropriate person from Actian
Scorecard
We’ll use the Scorecard (1-10) for grading submissions. The submissions will be reviewed by client and there will be no appeals or appeals response phases.
Weightage distribution is as follows
Focus of assessment for Actian
- 10% Schemas and data
- 90% Schema Conversion Tool
Additional Terms and Conditions for all Participants
The following terms and conditions must be included in the description of the Competition.
By participating in this Competition, You acknowledge and agree that
- You must comply with all applicable laws in submitting a Competition Submission, and you represent that you are authorized to submit the Competition Submission.
- ������You must comply with all Open Source licenses
- Actian Corporation (“Actian”) is free to use, disclose, distribute or otherwise exploit Residual Knowledge. Residual Knowledge means information that is retained in the unaided memories of Actian’s employees and contractors who have had access to any Competition Submissions submitted by You. An employee’s or contractor’s memory will be considered unaided if the employee or contractor has not intentionally memorized the information for the purpose of retaining and subsequently using or disclosing it; and
- ���If You provide comments, criticism, suggested improvements, test results, answers to questions, and other feedback regarding the function, features, and other characteristics of the Actian products in written or oral form (“Feedback”), You agrees that all Feedback is the property of Actian and may be used, reproduced, adapted, modified, distributed, and otherwise exploited by Actian in any manner and for any purpose.
- You are not entitled to any compensation from Actian or any of the benefits which Actian may make available to its employees, and You are not authorized to make any representation, contract or commitment on behalf of Actian.
- Employees and direct and indirect subcontractors of Actian Corporation and its subsidiaries and other affiliates, and employees and direct and indirect subcontractors of Actian’s partners (including TopCoder and its affiliates) are not eligible to participate in the challenge.
- You may only use data that is open and that can be shared with anyone in the world and which is freely available and to which you have rights to use the data in submitting such data.