WhereScape RED Reviews

Name: WhereScape RED
Brand: WhereScape
Rating: 4.1 (15 reviews)

4.1 out of 5

15 reviews
95% willing to recommend

757 followers

What is WhereScape RED?

WhereScape is data warehouse software that automates the Data Warehouse lifecycle. From implementation to maintenance, WhereScape will ensure your data warehouse projects are completed up to 5x faster than manual coding.

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WhereScape RED is the #48 ranked solution in top Data Integration Tools. PeerSpot users give WhereScape RED an average rating of 8.2 out of 10. WhereScape RED is most commonly compared to Informatica Intelligent Data Management Cloud (IDMC): WhereScape RED vs Informatica Intelligent Data Management Cloud (IDMC). WhereScape RED is popular among the large enterprise segment, accounting for 69% of users researching this solution on PeerSpot. The top industry researching this solution are professionals from a financial services firm, accounting for 19% of all views.

Helped 831,071 peers since 2012

Featured reviews

it_user584544

Manager Data Warehousing at a university with 10,001+ employees

I would love to see a GUI interface for defining dependencies between build processes. RED provides a spreadsheet like interface for defining the dependencies between builds. Once the dependencies are defined, RED can produce a nice dependency diagram to give a visualization of the dependency tree. It would be easier to define complex dependency relationships if the dependency diagram were interactive. Our legacy ETL tool provided this GUI dependency definition via a drag and drop diagram which was very useful. The solution provided by WhereScape does work, and the dependency diagrams generated are helpful. It would just be nice to have the ability to define dependencies via a diagram, since dependencies relationships are much easier to understand via a diagram.

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it_user572313

BI Architect at a healthcare company with 5,001-10,000 employees

Since WS supports Data Vault 2.0, I would like to see automated support for hash keys on the appropriate Data Vault tables. WS does have a table trigger that can be manually added to the WS repository that will accomplishes this but it isn’t built in to the IDE. I would like to see multi-database (creating/storing tables in different databases based on type, e.g. staging, data mart, etc.). Similarly to the hash keys, it can be accomplished (I'm using multiple databases) it just requires making a manual entry in a RED repository table for each database. Again, having it officially built in to the IDE would be great. The only other thing I would note is that the IDE isn’t as intuitive as I would like. Like most tools, after several weeks of use it makes a lot more sense…but for new users there will be a moderate ramp up time.

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GaryM

Data Architect at World Vision

In my opinion, the tool requires a much different architectural approach to be effective. It has fundamental architectural flaws that prevent it from being a practical solution for even moderate volumes of data. The largest issue is that it violates the most basic database data-movement physics through its reliance upon the infamous RBAR or "row by agonizing row" cursor operations within Tsql. In contrast, efficient database apply operations to whole sets of data rather than row by row achieved through Sql joins and set based queries. Note that this is a common problem with code generators as they end up trading scalability for flexibility. Ironically this also makes them unable to take advantage of the much touted "push down" operations that is one of their big selling points. This tool avoids the traditional lookup ETL lookup cache component issue (sometimes referred to as blocking transactions) - that much is true. However it ends up doing something similar but just within the database and with no easy way to override it. Experienced ETL developers know not to do any blocking transactions or RBAR if they can possibly help it. And with traditional ETL tools you either take advantage of built-in push-down capabilities or pre-join the data in views or data sources to avoid this kind issue. Other constraints include... - Repository only supports a single target database - No support for change data capture or delta detection - that must be custom coded - Must be used to stage data or it requires a redundant copy of staged data. This ended up more than double our storage - Relies 100% upon target database server with no ability to scale ETL to separate server - Relies 100% on the target database engine to do all the work (along with everything else the database must do like reporting) - Cannot acquire data from sources other than flat files. It relies upon the use of linked servers (which many shops don't allow) or calling an ETL tool such as SSIS in the background for data movement. In that case you're still relying on an ETL tool for the ELT portion so then you're actually using two different tools - Wherescape plus a 3rd party ETL tool instead of just one tool. Specific list of areas for improvement: * Performance (this is the area that needs the most improvement) * Efficient storage utilization * Logging * Count validations (data movements don't validate counts which is 101 basics to prevent data leaks) * Scheduler reliability and transparency * Ability to separate data acquisition/staging processing from target schema population * Providing automatic record count validations * Support for change data capture * Support for in-line transformational procedure language that extends beyond database procedures * Documentation lineage accuracy and completeness * Support for sharing metadata repository across multiple targets * Improvements in staging architecture requiring fewer copies of source data * Supporting transparency into post-gens * Providing encapsulated pre and post events for custom code that doesn't get wiped out when you re-generate supported code from the tool. * Better support for task orchestration in a top-down way that can be easily understood. * Support for direct parameter passing from job schedulers.

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WhereScape RED mindshare

As of January 2025, the mindshare of WhereScape RED in the Data Integration category stands at 1.1%, up from 1.0% compared to the previous year, according to calculations based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Data Integration

PeerAnalyst reports

Type	Title	Date
Category	Data Integration	Jan 18, 2025	Download
Product	Reviews, tips, and advice from real users	Jan 18, 2025	Download
Comparison	WhereScape RED vs Azure Data Factory	Jan 18, 2025	Download
Comparison	WhereScape RED vs Informatica PowerCenter	Jan 18, 2025	Download
Comparison	WhereScape RED vs Informatica Intelligent Data Management Cloud (IDMC)	Jan 18, 2025	Download

Title	Rating	Mindshare	Recommending
Informatica Intelligent Data Management Cloud (IDMC)	4.0	N/A	93%	181 interviews Add to research
Azure Data Factory	4.0	10.8%	92%	89 interviews Add to research

Valuable Features

WhereScape RED's features include automation of data warehouse tasks and documentation, multiple update methods, and metadata-driven ETL development. It supports agile methodologies, offers impact analysis, and generates code that runs on databases. Users value schema generation, easy deployment, data vault support, and ELT features. It provides comprehensive documentation, scheduling, and administration capabilities. Its metadata-based architecture enhances performance, code standardization, and ease of use with the ability to prototype rapidly and track data transformations.

"WhereScape is really helpful in terms of architecture data. Everything is one of automation. Two people can do thousands of tables in one day or two. It saves a lot of time."
"I like the data vault implementations."
"The most valuable feature is the metadata generated code."

Room for Improvement

WhereScape RED needs improvement in performance, architecture, and scheduler reliability. It relies on row-by-row processing, which affects scalability. The tool's dependency definitions and metadata sharing can be challenging. Additional support for NoSQL, change data capture, and inline transformations is desired. Users find customization difficult, and job management lacks flexibility. Documentation and user interface enhancements would aid new users. There is a need for better alert systems and more comprehensive technical support.

"Technical support isn't the best."
"Customization could be better."
"Project-based searching of data objects in the data warehouse browser needs to be improved."

ROI

Various responses indicate mixed expectations and experiences regarding ROI from WhereScape RED. Some expected negative returns, while others noted a significant ROI, with break-even achieved in less than a year. Positive feedback highlights cost-effective ETL code production, faster market times for new areas, and under-budget development, even with an inexperienced team. A few deemed it early to assess, yet anticipated good returns. Overall, a substantial ROI was reported in several instances.

Pricing

WhereScape RED's pricing is competitive, offering an attractive alternative to traditional ETL tools. Licensing models are flexible and typically based on developer seats rather than CPU usage, allowing organizations to scale without additional license costs. Even with setup costs including necessary specialized consulting, the investment pays off quickly. Licensing negotiations are straightforward. Companies appreciate the absence of vendor lock-in due to its native SQL code generation. Some opted for a corporate unlimited license for broader usage.

"Our company purchased a corporate unlimited license."
"Factor in the price of specialized consulting who know this product. They're hard to find and expensive."
"Speed to market of a warehouse solution at a relatively inexpensive price point."

Popular Use Cases

Organizations primarily utilize WhereScape RED for automating enterprise data warehousing and staging processes. It facilitates quick development of data warehouses, handles extraction and transformation from diverse sources, and supports multiple environments such as Teradata, Oracle, and SQL Server. Features like drag-and-drop, documentation capabilities, and ETL processing enhance efficiency in generating data architectures, supporting various business needs and reporting requirements across varied data types and source applications.

Service and Support

WhereScape RED customer service receives high marks for being excellent, helpful, and knowledgeable. Users appreciate the kind and personalized assistance. Technical support is generally praised for its promptness and expertise, with some noting quick resolutions and deep understanding. However, a few users report diminished support after purchase, highlighting a more money-focused approach. Many are satisfied with the helpful forums and ease of finding answers, while others benefit from on-site support and close access to WhereScape experts.

Deployment

Users found WhereScape RED's initial setup mostly straightforward and quick, with some suggesting professional assistance for smoother implementation. Concerns included ODBC connection requirements, developer access, disk usage, and metadata management. Despite these, many noted the architecture's simplicity enabled fast deployment. Challenges arose when certain system prerequisites were unmet, suggesting a need for pre-installation evaluation. Some appreciated being able to independently manage setup soon after initial use.

Scalability

WhereScape RED experiences vary regarding scalability. Some find no issues, with significant improvements in ETL processing times, even with large datasets. Others consider it unscalable for data storage and performance under specific conditions. SQL code generation surprises users positively, reducing the necessity for custom scripts. RED's performance is observed to depend on the underlying database infrastructure, like Teradata or Oracle, and the methodologies in use. Multiple users successfully work simultaneously without performance degradation.

Stability

Users have mixed experiences with WhereScape RED's stability. Some face persistent hangs and errors without clear messages, often requiring process re-generation. Resource consumption can overwhelm servers, hindering performance. However, others report high quality in releases and no stability issues during testing. Some users note remarkable maturity and stability, with few defects, while others encounter bugs impacting reliability. Despite challenges, some appreciate the tool's capabilities once integrated into their toolkit.

These insights are based on the in-depth reviews provided by peers to help you make a better buying decision.

Download our WhereScape RED Buyer's Guide for additional reliable information.