James Allman / JA Technology Solutions LLC
Database development for the systems your business depends on
Databases are the foundation of every enterprise application. I design, develop, migrate, and optimize databases across DB2, SQL Server, PostgreSQL, Informix, Microsoft Access, and other platforms — with a focus on reliability, performance, and long-term maintainability.
What Database Work May Include
- Schema design and data modeling for new applications
- SQL development — queries, stored procedures, views, triggers
- Query analysis and performance optimization
- Database migration between platforms (DB2 for i, SQL Server, PostgreSQL, Access)
- Data conversion and transformation during platform transitions
- Cross-platform database connectivity (JDBC, ODBC, OLEDB, ADO.NET)
- Reporting database design and data warehouse foundations
- Database-backed replacements for spreadsheet-based workflows
- Access database development, optimization, and migration planning
Cross-Platform Experience
Database work is rarely isolated to a single platform. I work across DB2 for i, SQL Server, PostgreSQL, Informix, Microsoft Access, and other relational databases. This cross-platform experience is especially valuable for migration projects, integration work, and organizations that operate multiple database systems.
JDBC connectivity is central to my approach for cross-platform work — it provides a consistent, portable interface regardless of the underlying database vendor, reducing lock-in and simplifying maintenance.
Free Database Tools
DBAs and developers working with schemas, queries, or cross-platform data can use these free browser-based tools for the everyday tasks that come up during database work.
- SQL Formatter — clean up queries into consistently indented SQL
- Data Profiler — explore a dataset's column types, null rates, and cardinality before you design the schema or tune the query
- Data Diff & Compare — line-by-line comparison of two datasets for reconciliation and regression testing
- Connection String Builder — assemble JDBC, ODBC, OLEDB, and ADO.NET connection strings across database vendors
- DDS ↔ SQL Converter — convert IBM i physical file definitions to SQL DDL and back
- Parquet File Explorer — inspect columnar data files used in modern data lakes and warehouses
- Fixed-Width ↔ CSV — bridge positional records to CSV for import into any database
Related Capabilities
Database development connects with ETL and data pipelines, custom reporting, migration, and custom application development.
Further Reading
When Your Spreadsheet Should Have Been a Database — when spreadsheets outgrow their purpose and need to become database-backed applications.