8 Top Databases in Nigeria, Explore the Most Popular

Originally posted on November 16, 2023 @ 11:58 am

Best top DB in Nigeria

Effective database design and management require a combination of technical knowledge, analytical skills, and attention to detail. Regularly reviewing and adapting your database design and management practices helps ensure the database meets evolving business needs and performs optimally.

Let us try to explore the best top 8 Popular Databases in 2023 beginning with the Last to First.

Best Top 8 Popular Databases in 2023

8. Oracle Database:
Oracle Database has played a crucial role in the development of enterprise-grade database systems, and its evolution reflects the changing landscape of technology, with an increasing emphasis on cloud computing and internet-related capabilities.

Oracle Database

The history of Oracle Database is significant in the evolution of relational database management systems (RDBMS) with a key milestones on its history

In 1977 Oracle Corporation was founded by Larry Ellison and his two friends; Bob Miner and Ed Oates and have stayed till date with Oracle Database 19c which have continued the trend of cloud-focused features and improvements in performance, security, and manageability.

7. MariaDB: This is an open-source relational database management system (RDBMS) that originated as a fork of MySQL. MariaDB was created in 2009 by Michael “Monty” Widenius, the original author of MySQL, as a response to concerns about the direction of MySQL under Oracle Corporation’s ownership.

It has gained popularity over the years with its focus on open source, community driven development and compatibility with MySQL and its last version in 2021 with MariaDB 10.6 and continued the trend of performance improvements and introduced features such as the roles system, Oracle compatibility enhancements, and support for a default database.

6. Redis: Redis, an acronym for REmote DIctionary Server, is an open-source, in-memory data structure store. It was created by Salvatore Sanfilippo, also known as Antirez.

Its initial release was in May, 2009 by Salvatore Sanfilippo. Its development was motivated by the need for a faster and more scalable database system for a startup where Sanfilippo was working at the time.

In 2020, released Redis 6.2 which is still very useful today in database designs and management.
While in April 2021, Redis 6.2 brought support for Active-Active Geo-Distribution, allowing data to be distributed and synchronized across multiple Redis clusters in different geographical locations.

5. MongoDB: MongoDB is a widely used NoSQL database that stores data in flexible, JSON-like documents. MongoDB was created by 10gen, a company founded by Dwight Merriman, Eliot Horowitz, and Kevin Ryan in 2007.

Lastest of its release was in July, 2021 when MongoDB 5.0 was lunched, included features like native time series collections, sharded cluster improvements, and support for distributed transactions.

MongoDB has continued to evolve, and its development is driven by the needs of its user community and the broader industry trends.

4. SQLite: A self-contained, serverless, and zero-configuration relational database management system. I have experienced its uniqueness over time and i did love using it especially from it back end query. SQLite was first released in August 2000 by D. Richard Hipp.

It is an embedded database with library that is directly linked with the front-end application.

The latest version of SQLite its SQLite 3.35.0 that introduced File Format 4, optimizing the database file format for performance. It also included enhancements to window functions, improvements to the query planner, and other optimizations. Explore it and tell the story.

3. Microsoft SQL Server: It is used by Wells Fargo, Harris Corporation, General Electric, Yahoo. Microsoft SQL Server has evolved significantly since its first release, and several features and characteristics have contributed to its uniqueness over the years.

The first release of Microsoft SQL Server was in 1989. This initial version, SQL Server 1.0, was developed in collaboration with Sybase. The latest stable version was Microsoft SQL Server 2019 in year 2019.

2. PostgreSQL: PostgreSQL, often referred to as “Postgres,” is an open-source relational database management system (RDBMS) that is used by Instagram, Spotify, Twitch, IMDB and lot of others was released in 1986

The origins of PostgreSQL can be traced back to the POSTGRES project, which was initiated by Michael Stonebraker and his team at the University of California, Berkeley.

But not limited to their release was when PostgreSQL 13 was released in 2021. This Version 13 introduced improvements to query performance, better parallelism in B-tree index builds, and various enhancements for security.

1. MySQL: Used by pretty much everyone.
It is a popular open-source relational database management system (RDBMS) that has been widely used since its inception.

MySQL Database

MySQL is a popular open-source relational database management system (RDBMS) that has been widely used since its inception. Moreover, MySQL 8.0, released in April 2018, introduced major improvements, such as the Data Dictionary for better metadata management, a new default authentication method, and increased support for modern SQL features.

Several Factors Why MYSQL is Preferred to Other Databases in 2023

1. Open Source Nature: MySQL’s open-source nature fosters a large and active community, contributing to its continued development, support, and adaptability.

2. Community Support: MySQL has a vibrant community that provides support, resources, and extensions, making it a reliable choice for developers and organizations.

3. Ease of Use: MySQL is known for its simplicity and ease of use. It’s easy to install, configure, and integrate with various programming languages and frameworks.

4. Performance and Scalability: MySQL has a reputation for good performance and scalability, making it suitable for a wide range of applications, from small websites to large-scale enterprise systems.

5. Wide Adoption in Web Development: MySQL is commonly used in web development, especially with popular content management systems (CMS) like WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal.

6. Enterprise Deployment: Many enterprises use MySQL for mission-critical applications, and it’s often included in various software stacks and solutions.

7. Compatibility and Standard SQL Support: MySQL adheres to SQL standards, ensuring compatibility with other databases and making it easy for developers to transition between different database systems.

8. Ongoing Development and Releases: MySQL continues to evolve with regular releases, incorporating new features, optimizations, and security enhancements.

9. MySQL Forks and Alternatives: Forks of MySQL, such as MariaDB and Percona Server, provide alternative options with additional features and improvements, contributing to the overall MySQL ecosystem.

Exploring the Best 5 Top Database Tools in 2023

There are various types of database tools catering to different aspects of database management, development, and administration. Here are five major categories of database tools along with examples:

1. Relational Database Management System (RDBMS) Tools:
a. MySQL Workbench: A visual database design tool for MySQL.
b. Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS): A tool for managing SQL Server databases.
c. Oracle SQL Developer: An integrated development environment (IDE) for Oracle Database.

2. NoSQL Database Tools:
a. MongoDB Compass: A graphical user interface for MongoDB.
b. Cassandra Query Language (CQL) Shell: A command-line interface for Apache Cassandra.
c. Redis CLI: Command-line interface for interacting with Redis.

3. Database Design and Modeling Tools:
a. ERStudio: A tool for data modeling, data governance, and business process modeling.
b. Lucidchart: An online diagramming tool that includes features for database design.
c. DbVisualizer: A universal database tool for developers, analysts, and database administrators.

4. Database Administration Tools:
a. phpMyAdmin: A web-based tool for managing MySQL and MariaDB databases.
b. pgAdmin: An open-source administration and management tool for PostgreSQL.
c. SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS): A comprehensive tool for managing SQL Server databases.

5. Database Development Tools:
a. Toad: A tool for database development and administration, supporting various database systems.
b. SQL Developer: An integrated development environment for Oracle Database.
c. DbForge Studio: A set of database tools for SQL Server, MySQL, Oracle, and PostgreSQL.

These tools serve different purposes, and the choice of a specific tool often depends on the type of database system being used, the tasks at hand, and personal or organizational preferences.

WordPress To BlogEngine.Net – 5 Possible Stages

Originally posted on February 9, 2025 @ 5:12 pm

Introduction

Migrating from WordPress to BlogEngine.NET involves transferring website content from the WordPress CMS which is PHP and MySQL-based to BlogEngine.NET which runs on ASP.NET and SQL Server/XML storage.

WordPress

It is a platform that creates, manage, help to suggest hosting services and allow its platform users to publish web-page(s) with the use of Internet Service Providers.

WordPress is the most popular website building platform that requires no programming (coding) skills as it is designed with pre-loaded templates which is editable/adjustable to the taste you so desire it.

Although, WordPress as a content management system is of great value to anyone with coding or and graphics design skill.

The Uniqueness of WordPress

Amongst other website building platforms, WordPress is likely to be preferred to other platforms with some of the reasons as listed below;

It has a responsive design layout
It is highly flexible with free and open source
It is great pick for beginner of website designers

WordPress has two categories of website namely;

wordpress.org; is a self-hosted web-page where you personally engage the services of a hosting provider like namecheap.com, godaddy.com etc.
wordpress.com – Already hosted site which is managed by WordPress

BlogEngine.NET

This is an ASP.NET based platform that helps to create and manage blogs that mainly operates on Microsoft .NET framework.

BlogEngine.NET is not user friendly to developers of blogs but requires an adequate knowledge in .NET

However, BlogEngine.NET has built-in theme with its appearance modification

BlogEngine.NET has its unique features that is desired by developers and thereby make it their choice for building a website blog

Comes with built-in SEO tools to optimize blog visibility
The resources used from other website building platform is higher than BlogEngine.NET, thus it is preferred.
Some developers like to engage the ASP.NET based solution
It is free and open source web blog building platform

2 Core Relationship of WordPress and BlogEngine.Net Platforms

Window Server – WordPress can be installed using PHP Manager but BlogEngine.NET runs natively.

The best option for the dual hosting is a Windows Server with IIS and PHP support.

Database – BlogEngine.NET uses XML or SQL Server while WordPress uses MySQL server with no default MySQL support

This did not stop their relationship as they can share the same SQL server database with different table prefixes to prevent conflicts in their usage.

5 Stages of Migrating WordPress Contents into BlogEngine.NET?

Simply say that, transition Between BlogEngine.NET and WordPress is without downtime –

furthermore, a strategic migration steps is enforced to ensure the website visitors do not experience any form of interruptions, i.e. keeping both webpages up and running

1 – Set Up BlogEngine.NET on a subdomain and configure IIS and SQL server;

Why? It is useful for testing environments, blogs, or separate site sections if the need arises.

How do you set up a sub-domain?

Log in to your hosting control panel
Create the subdomain (enter the subdomain name) and choose the main domain
Install or upload a website to the subdomain
Configure SSL (HTTPS) for the Subdomain
Test the created subdomain

2 – Backup and Export Content from WordPress with the following steps

Login to your WordPress Admin Dashboard.
Go to Tools > Export.
Select All Content (includes posts, pages, comments, categories, and tags).
Click Download Export File (this creates an XML file).

When successfully exported, convert the WordPress XML file to BlogEngine.NET format, because BlogEngine.NET do not support direct WordPress import.

BlogEngine.NET format include;

BlogML (.xml)
SQL Database (.bak/.sql)
XML file storage

3 – Import Data to BlogEngine.NET

Login to BlogEngine.NET Admin Panel.
Go to Settings > Import
But if BlogEngine.NET does not have a direct import tool, manually copy-paste posts into the Admin Panel under New Post.

4 – Transfer Images and Media

WordPress stores images separately in the wp-content/uploads
Manually download these images and upload them to BlogEngine.NET media storage.
Update image URLs in BlogEngine.NET.

5 – Redirect Old URLs

If you are moving from WordPress to BlogEngine.NET but wish to keep the same domain, you can use 301 redirects in your hosting settings to avoid broken links.

6 – Test Your Blog

Review imported posts for formatting errors.
Test internal links to ensure they are working.
Verify the configuration of the SEO settings.

How to Undo the Migration of BlogEngine.NET into WordPress?

Step 1 – Set Up WordPress on a Staging Environment

Install WordPress on a temporary domain or subdomain and configure PHP, MySQL, and WordPress plugins.

Step 2 – Export Content from BlogEngine.NET

Locate Settings in Dashboard → Export Blog.

Export all posts, pages, and comments as an XML file and if using an SQL Server database, you may need to manually export using SQL queries.

Step 3 – Import Content (Exported File) into WordPress Platform

Options to Engage;

Use a plugin like WordPress Importer to import the XML file.
After exporting SQL data, use WP All Import or manually migrate the tables.
Verify and import all posts, pages, and comments.

Step 4 – Redirect Old URLs to WordPress URLs

BlogEngine.NET uses different URL structures than WordPress. It is important you use 301 redirects in web.config (for IIS) or .htaccess (if migrating to Apache).

Step 5 – Final Testing & Domain Switch

Test the new WordPress site for functionality, broken links, and design issues.
Once verified, update the DNS settings to point your main domain to the new WordPress site.
Keep the old BlogEngine.NET site live in a backup state for a short period (just in case).

Remember to create a backup system that will keep the old site up and running in case of eventualities.

Suspended Ceiling: 8 Key Challenges and Solutions in 2025

Originally posted on February 3, 2025 @ 12:53 pm

Ceiling Overview

Ceiling can be made of wood, plaster, stone, concrete and metal which form the overhead structure that encloses a space.

Its purpose can be decorative or and functional that provides insulation, protection, sound control and aesthetic appeal.

As at today, we have seen and used both the traditional ceilings and suspended ceilings.

The origin of the traditional ceiling

The pace at which ceiling was created has its root in architecture for cultural advancement which later ride on the influence of technology.

The early ceilings were natural & wooden, stone & bricks, ornate
The modern ceilings were plaster & stucco, vaulted & coffered, tin & pressed metal

The usage of the Ceilings before Suspended Ceiling

The traditional ceilings were multi-purpose driven. Let’s see some of their purposes and try to relate with what purpose the now suspended ceilings provides.

One of its main purpose is for decorative designs needed in homes, offices, religious buildings and maybe event halls.

Again, the Stone ceilings were tick thereby help to regulate indoor temperatures.

Furthermore, the reinforcement of a building was possible with a protective barrier.

While domes and vaults were specifically designed to amplify sound in large spaces, that is reducing echoes from the sound productions.

Their limitations

Despite the fantastic functions of the traditional ceilings, their limitations that have also created lots of concerns

It was almost impossible to access electrical wires or structural element for repairs, it requires breaking the ceiling.
The solid nature of the ceiling reflected noise that leads to echoing issues
Modification of these categories of ceiling were not feasible
They have less design flexibility that restricted architectural creativeness.

From the above, you can note that it will be costlier retaining the traditional (early and modern) ceilings. Thus, it is now necessary to allow them fade away.

The Origin of Suspended Ceiling

A suspended ceiling is usually installed below the main structural ceiling.

It consists of a lightweight grid framework that holds ceiling tiles or panels made from materials such as metal or PVC, mineral fiber.

The first true suspended ceiling system was introduced, designed to conceal pipes, wiring, and ductwork while improving acoustics by Donald Brown’s Patent in 1919.

While between 1950s-1960s the system evolved with lightweight acoustic tiles and metal grids, becoming popular.

And Today, the finest part of suspended ceilings is that it incorporates fire-resistant, soundproof, and eco-friendly materials, along with integrated lighting and HVAC systems.

The beauty it can create for your space –

Traditional ceilings samples

Some Ceilings in the early stage of ceiling

Suspended Ceiling Samples

The beauty is reflected from its desings

Reasons why you should be desiring Suspended Ceiling

There are several reasons why you might desire a suspended ceiling,

It enhances the overlook of a space and also provides a uniform and professional appearance (creative and modern designs).
It’s easy access for maintenance or repairs is unbeatable with assurance of not damaging the ceiling tiles.
It has become ideal for any structural building by reducing noise levels and absorbing sound
Energy efficiency is possible by allowing integrated LED lighting systems.
The spread of fire can be minimized when there is fire outbreak, because it is fire resistant.
Modification or replacement of ceiling panel and tiles is guaranteed with reduced maintenance cost.
Invention of suspended ceilings provided modern solutions such as better acoustics.
Suspended ceiling reduces glare and creates a warm, inviting atmosphere.

It can be adjusted and re-adjusted to different ceiling heights for a more spacious look as desired.

Some structural areas you can install suspended ceilings and what to expect.

Suspended ceilings are widely used in various settings not limited to the following listed below;

Commercial (offices, malls, hotels) – For aesthetics, acoustics, and hiding infrastructure.

Institutions (Educational, Religious) – Helps with sound absorption and lighting integration.

Healthcare (hospitals, clinics) – Provides easy access to essential utilities and enhances hygiene.

Industrial– Helps with fire safety and insulation.

Residential– Used in basements, kitchens, or living areas for decoration and insulation.

Let’s Consider some of the challenges associated with Suspended Ceiling

First, the regular materials used in the installation of suspended ceiling are;

Mineral fiber (for sound absorption)
Metal (for durability and aesthetics)
PVC or plastic (for moisture resistance)
Gypsum (for fire resistance)

The Basic steps of how suspended ceiling is installed

Grid Framework Installation – A metal grid system is created and suspended from the original ceiling using wires.
Panel Placement – Ceiling tiles or panels are placed within the grid framework.
Additional Fixtures – Lighting, ventilation, and other utilities are integrated into the system.

As modern suspended ceilings became popular in the 20th century based on its unique nature, particularly in commercial and office buildings, the following challenges were discovered in the process of installing, its usage and maintenance of the ceiling tiles.

A suspended Ceiling needs at least 3 – 6 inches of clearance below the initial ceiling. If the original ceiling already low, adding a drop ceiling may make the space feel cramped or less open.
fire suppression systems that is not well integrated may be obstructing safety features
When the existing ceiling structure is not supporting the suspended ceiling grids and panels, there is going to be limitation that can be dangerous
The risk of having heavy materials on the suspended ceiling which has load bearing limit
Violation of building codes and ventilation for maintenance, suspended ceiling materials not meeting safety regulations (fire hazards, structural failures, health concerns, and legal liabilities)
Maintenance of conceal utilities like wiring, pipes or other infrastructure can be difficult when there is no adequate space for movement between the initial ceiling roof and suspended ceiling.
With suspended ceiling in a smaller space, the visual impact of a lowered ceiling will make the room more constrained although not same with larger space.
Noise transmission issue that passes through suspended ceiling because of lack of sound insulation, plenum, Flanking Paths, hard surface ceiling tiles etc.

Solutions to the above challenges

Please note that the suggestion solutions are itemized according to the numbering on the challenges.

Rectify the height of the hall – A shallow drop ceiling, semi exposed grid system can adjust the height of the suspended ceiling grid which will help to create a more open feel, especially in smaller spaces.
Use fire resistance ceiling tiles were applicable e.g. Laminated Gypsum, Mineral fiber, metal acoustic panels, etc. These are fire-rated, non-toxic and a moisture resistant ceiling material
Choose drop-out panels or modular systems for easy access
Choose a heavy-duty grid system designed to support additional load and follow proper installation guidelines to prevent collapse and structural issues
Ensure ceiling tiles meet ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials), UL (Underwriters Laboratories), and local building codes
Maintenance; lighting fixtures, air vents, sprinklers, and wiring should be considered
Lightning placement and choose removable tiles. The use of decorative ceiling tiles, metal grids, or custom panels to enhance visual appeal.
Soundproofing – Amongst others, choose high Noise Reduction Coefficient and tight-fitting tiles to absorb sound and reduce echo. It will prevent sound leakage.

You can consider getting more detail about a previously published article on the lasting benefits of installing suspended ceiling for sound production.